TL;DR: ICE's surveillance budget nearly tripled to $28.7 billion. Wegmans is scanning shoppers' faces at stores in 10 states. Three more state privacy laws went into effect January 1, bringing the total to 20. TSA plans to expand facial recognition to 65 airports. And the 700Credit breach exposed 5.6 million Social Security numbers.
Top Story: ICE Goes on $28.7 Billion Surveillance Shopping Spree
Immigration and Customs Enforcement isn't just getting a bigger budget—it's becoming one of the most well-funded surveillance operations on the planet.
ICE's 2025 budget stands at $28.7 billion. That's nearly triple their 2024 budget. Another $56.25 billion is slated over the next three years. If ICE were a military, it would rank 14th in the world—right between Ukraine and Israel.
Where's that money going? Surveillance tech. Lots of it.
Federal records show more than $300 million allocated for social media monitoring, facial recognition, license plate readers, and location tracking. ICE plans to hire nearly 30 contractors to monitor Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube around the clock. Analysts will turn posts, photos, and profiles into enforcement "leads."
The agency awarded Clearview AI a $3.75 million contract for facial recognition software. Field agents now have apps that can point a phone at someone's face and potentially determine their immigration status on the spot.
Palantir is building "ImmigrationOS"—a $30 million AI platform to identify, track, and deport suspected noncitizens. ICE's electronic monitoring program (ISAP) now tracks over 170,000 people via GPS ankle monitors and facial recognition apps.
"Immigration powers are being used to justify mass surveillance of everybody," said Emily Tucker, executive director of Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology. "It's not just going to affect immigrants. It will be U.S. citizens—all of us."
Corporate Surveillance
Wegmans Scanning Shoppers' Faces in 10 States
Your grocery store is collecting biometric data. Wegmans, with 100+ stores across 10 states, has deployed facial recognition cameras to identify people "previously flagged for misconduct."
New York City's law requires businesses to disclose when they're collecting biometric data. Gothamist broke the story after spotting required signage at NYC locations.
Wegmans isn't alone. CVS, Home Depot, Macy's, Target, and Walmart also use facial recognition. Despite widespread public opposition, retail adoption keeps growing with few rules and uncertain results.
One constant: when people find out, they revolt.
TSA Expanding Face Scans to 65 Airports
TSA's Pre-Check Touchless ID program—where passengers use only their face as identification—is expanding fast. Currently at 15 airports, it will reach 65 airports this spring.
Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, and United are participating. Passengers need PreCheck membership and a valid passport in their airline profile to use the system.
Amazon Ring Adding AI Facial Recognition
Ring doorbells will soon identify visitors using AI-powered facial recognition. Because your doorbell knowing who's standing there wasn't dystopian enough.
Data Breaches
700Credit: 5.6 Million SSNs Exposed
If you bought a car recently, your Social Security number may be floating around criminal networks. 700Credit LLC, which provides credit reports to auto dealerships, disclosed that hackers copied sensitive data on roughly 5.6 million people. Over 108,000 South Carolina residents were affected.
Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield notified members on January 5 of a potential breach affecting protected health information. Details remain limited.
Manage My Health: 400K Medical Documents
On January 3, Manage My Health reported unauthorized access to 400,000 medical documents covering 120,000 patients. Exposed data includes hospital discharge summaries, specialist referrals, and uploaded medical documents.
Dartmouth: 40,000+ Affected by Russian Ransomware
The Clop ransomware group—responsible for attacks on Harvard and UPenn—hit Dartmouth through a vulnerability in Oracle's E-Business Suite. Over 40,000 people were affected.
North Carolina Ransomware Up 50%
The state's data breach report shows ransomware attacks jumped from 843 to 1,215 incidents—contributing to more than half of all reported breaches.
Privacy Laws & Legislation
20 States Now Have Privacy Laws
January 1 brought three more comprehensive state privacy laws online:
- Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
- Kentucky HB473 with lowered thresholds and expanded definitions
- Rhode Island Data Transparency and Privacy Protection Act
That's 20 states with comprehensive consumer privacy laws. Federal legislation? Still nowhere.
California DROP Platform Launches
California residents can now use the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform at privacy.ca.gov. Data brokers must start processing deletion requests by August 1, 2026.
California's New CCPA Regulations Active
Updated CCPA rules went into effect January 1, including tighter data breach reporting deadlines. Businesses get extra time for cybersecurity audits and automated decision-making requirements.
FTC Prioritizing COPPA Enforcement
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson says the agency will aggressively enforce children's online privacy protections. Chinese-made AI toys are drawing particular concern from lawmakers.
AI & Surveillance
MTA Exploring AI for 15,000 Transit Cameras
New York's MTA is exploring whether AI can help monitor its 15,000+ cameras across the transit system and 6,000 subway cars. Potential uses include weapon detection, unattended item monitoring, and "anticipating subway stampedes."
EPA AI Monitoring Allegations
Reuters reported that Trump appointees told EPA managers Elon Musk's team is deploying AI to monitor workers, including scanning communications for language "hostile to Trump or Musk." The EPA denies the report.
Trump Rescinds AI Safety Executive Order
President Trump rescinded the previous administration's AI risk management guidance, leaving questions about AI safeguards in government adoption.
What You Can Do
If You're in a Privacy Law State
Exercise your rights. Request data deletion. Opt out of sales. Check if your state is among the 20 with laws.
If You Shop at Wegmans (or Similar)
Look for biometric disclosure signs. Consider whether you want to shop at stores scanning your face without consent.
If You Bought a Car Recently
The 700Credit breach may affect you. Freeze your credit. Monitor for identity theft. Consider identity protection services.
On Social Media
Assume public posts can be monitored by government agencies. Review privacy settings. Consider what you share.
References
- EFF: ICE Is Going on a Surveillance Shopping Spree (January 2026)
- CNN: Wegmans is scanning your face at some stores (January 12, 2026)
- IAPP: New state privacy requirements for 2026 (January 2026)
- Aviation Week: TSA Expanding Facial Recognition To 65 Airports (January 14, 2026)
- 700Credit Breach: How Did Millions of SSNs Leak? (January 2026)
- THE CITY: MTA Explores How to Use AI to Monitor Cameras (January 8, 2026)
- American Immigration Council: ICE Uses AI for Immigration Enforcement (January 2026)
- Data Privacy News for January 2026