Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. have issued a grand jury subpoena to Reddit, ordering the social media platform to reveal the identity of a user accused of criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The subpoena, which was obtained by the nonprofit news outletThe Intercept, requires Reddit to provide information on the user by April 14.
The legal order seeks the user's name, address, phone number, and other personal data.
ICE has been attempting to identify the specific Redditor for approximately one month without success, according to the report.
The subpoena follows a failed attempt by ICE to obtain the same information through a federal court in Northern California. That court holds jurisdiction over San Francisco, where Reddit is headquartered.
First Amendment protections
Reddit’s attorneys characterized the government's use of a grand jury as "a disturbing escalation," according toThe Intercept. The company's legal team argues that the user's posts and anonymity are protected under the First Amendment.
Reddit issued a statement regarding its policy on user data.
"Privacy is central to how Reddit operates and we take our commitment to protecting that seriously," the company said.
The platform also stated it does not voluntarily share information with government agencies. This includes instances where users are "exercising their rights to criticize the government or plan a protest."
Reddit has not yet confirmed whether it will formally challenge the government's order in court.
The use of grand jury subpoenas for social media data follows a documented trend in federal investigations.
ANew York Timesreport indicates that the Department of Homeland Security has filed hundreds of subpoenas against several major tech firms.
These requests include companies such as Google, Discord, and Meta.
The subpoenas specifically target identifying details for users who have posted content critical of ICE.
