D.C. Prosecutors Subpoena Reddit for ICE Critic's Data

Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have subpoenaed Reddit to disclose personal information about an anonymous user who posted criticisms of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, escalating a month-long effort by the agency to identify the individual. The subpoena, issued on March 31, requires Reddit representatives to appear before a grand jury and provide data by April 14.

The case began on March 4, when an ICE agent in Fairfax, Virginia, issued an administrative summons to Reddit under the authority of 19 U.S. Code 1509, a provision of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act typically related to imports and exports. The summons sought the user's name, address, telephone number, email, IP addresses, banking details, and associated accounts, covering about one month of activity. It also instructed Reddit not to disclose the request, warning that doing so could interfere with a federal investigation.

The user, identified in court records as John Doe and residing in the Pacific Northwest, received notification from Reddit two days later and retained attorneys from the Oregon-based Civil Liberties Defense Center. On March 12, they filed a motion to quash the summons in the U.S....