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>" That said, they're saying they're only providing publicly available data to ICE, but if it's publicly available and non-identifiable, why does ICE even need

>" That said, they're saying they're only providing publicly available data to ICE, but if it's publicly available and non-identifiable, why does ICE even need it, and why wouldn't they be able to get it themselves?" From the linked Intercept article: >"Homeland Security Investigations, the division of ICE that purchased the Coinbase tool, is tasked not only with immigration-related matters, aiding migrant raids and deportation operations, but broader transnational crimes as well,..." One possibility is that ICE could use this to trace the source of remittances being sent back to undocumented worker's home countries. The wire transfer fees are known to be extortionate and there's many crypto exchanges that see an opportunity in disrupting wire transfers for remittances.[1] If this happens then I could see this of being of interest to ICE. As to "Why wouldn't they be able to get it themselves", it's probably just pure convenience. It's probably more attractive to just spend tax payer money on some expensive off the shelf solution Incidentally I found this paragraph from the linked Intercept piece pretty damning: >"The Coinbase Tracer tool itself was birthed in controversy. In 2019, Motherboard reported that Neutrino, a blockchain-analysis firm the company acquired in order to create Coinbase Tracer, “was founded by three former employees of Hacking Team, a controversial Italian surveillance vendor that was caught several times selling spyware to governments with dubious human rights records, such as Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.” Following public outcry, Coinbase announced these staffers would “transition out” of the company." [1] https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/paymentsweek/2022/04/27/mexican-remittances-are-the-continents-largest-crypto-companies-want-a-cut/ https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/paymentsweek/2022/04/27/mexi...

mandevil 4y ago
Almost certainly the is the OTHER half of ICE: ICE is two organizations, Enforcement and Removal Operations (what is widely thought of as ICE, they focus on civil deportations) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI is targeting actual crimes that occur across borders, not deportations. So international money laundering, plus smuggling goods, drugs, people, etc. As a quirk, they are the agency that brings the most possession and distribution of underage sexual materials charges against US citizens (because so much of that involves bouncing to foreign servers etc.). They are a legitimate law enforcement agency that focuses on crime that goes across borders, and their interest in the blockchain should be obvious and clear- pretty much every crime I listed above is currently being done on the blockchain. HSI has wanted to separate from ERO for years, because they feel that no one outside of ICE understands the difference, but it has not happened. I only understand the difference because I spent a few months supporting HSI (and only HSI) as a government contractor, and everyone I interacted with from HSI went to great pains to differentiate themselves from ERO, and clearly considered themselves better than ERO.

mandevil 4y ago

Almost certainly the is the OTHER half of ICE: ICE is two organizations, Enforcement and Removal Operations (what is widely thought of as ICE, they focus on civil deportations) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI is targeting actual crimes that occur across borders, not deportations. So international money laundering, plus smuggling goods, drugs, people, etc. As a quirk, they are the agency that brings the most possession and distribution of underage sexual materials charges against US citizens (because so much of that involves bouncing to foreign servers etc.). They are a legitimate law enforcement agency that focuses on crime that goes across borders, and their interest in the blockchain should be obvious and clear- pretty much every crime I listed above is currently being done on the blockchain. HSI has wanted to separate from ERO for years, because they feel that no one outside of ICE understands the difference, but it has not happened. I only understand the difference because I spent a few months supporting HSI (and only HSI) as a government contractor, and everyone I interacted with from HSI went to great pains to differentiate themselves from ERO, and clearly considered themselves better than ERO.