Watched Tracked Marked

One Post Away from a Knock at the Door.

In most cases, you won’t know if the government is monitoring your social media activity. Agencies generally do not notify individuals when they collect or review publicly available information. However, here are some important things to keep in mind:

🔍 What They Can Monitor:

• Public posts: Anything you post publicly on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, etc., can be legally monitored by law enforcement or federal agencies.

• Comments, likes, shares: Your interactions with other public posts are also fair game.

• Groups and pages: If you're active in public groups or follow certain pages, that activity may be included in monitoring algorithms.

🚨 When You Might Be on the Radar:

• You post threats of violence or extremist content.

• You promote or discuss illegal activities.

• You’re associated with groups flagged as extremist or subversive.

• You’re involved in organizing protests, especially if civil unrest is anticipated.

• You're a whistleblower, activist, or journalist involved in sensitive reporting.

🧠 How They Monitor:

• AI tools and scraping bots: Agencies like DHS, FBI, or local law enforcement use software to flag keywords or patterns.

• Fusion centers: State-run centers share info between local and federal law enforcement.

• Reports by others: If someone reports you, it may trigger a manual review.

🕵️ Signs You Might Be Monitored (Not Proof):

• Your posts are being deleted or flagged mysteriously.

• You receive warnings or bans, even for mild content.

• Strange friend/follower requests or messages from suspicious accounts.

• You're contacted by law enforcement with questions about your online activity.

🧷 What You Can Do:

• Adjust privacy settings: Limit who can see your posts.

• Avoid posting threats or violent rhetoric, even jokingly.

• Use encrypted messaging apps (Signal, Telegram) for private conversations.

• Be aware: If it’s public, it’s not private — and can be used against you.

If you’re concerned about surveillance for activism, journalism, or political speech, remember that while the First Amendment says Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech, that doesn’t mean you won’t be watched—so think again and remember who’s in charge now.