# United States Using AI To Make Decisions At Country’s Borders
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has taken a significant step in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to make decisions about the people and merchandise it encounters at national borders. In recent documents uploaded on CBP's website, it is revealed that they are using the products of two Australian digital intelligence companies: Fivecast and DataMinr.
## The Role of AI in Border Security
Through Fivecast, CBP has procured a tool called 'ONYX', which supports the collection of publicly available internet-based content in near real-time. This tool utilizes an AI and machine learning (ML)-driven risk assessment framework that enables its clients to uncover threats hidden in vast amounts of unstructured multi-media data.
Similarly, DataMinr offers advanced search, collection, and analysis of publicly available information through a single user interface. This facilitates the collection of information regarding people, places, and things across social media platforms. Moreover, DataMinr has launched 'ReGenAI', an AI system that automatically regenerates in real-time as events unfold.
## The Rise of Immigrant Social Media Activity
The release of these documents comes at a time when the US Department of Homeland Security is conducting a public consultation on a proposal to collect social media identifier data on immigration forms and/or within information collection systems. This proposal aims to enhance identity verification, vetting, and national security screening.
While this proposal is currently open for comments until May 5, the country has already begun examining social media posts. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will consider antisemitic social media activity as grounds for denying immigration benefit requests.
Furthermore, the US Government has been instructing students who liked or shared anti-national posts to self-deport, according to a report by the Times of India.
## Concerns Over Surveillance
The use of tools like DataMinr and ONYX raises concerns about surveillance. Given the vast amount of data available on the internet, these tools could potentially provide a comprehensive profile of any digitally active individual.
This is particularly relevant when considering that both the US and India have been exploring ways to monitor people's online activity. In 2020, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) in India published an expression of interest to create a tool that would crawl through social media data and monitor social media trends.
## Social Media Monitoring in India
The MIB released another tender in 2024 for an AI dashboard that would integrate with social media platforms like X to observe discussions, engagement, and trends. This tool was intended to help the Ministry counter misinformation.
On a state level, law enforcement agencies in parts of Maharashtra and West Bengal have set up social media monitoring agencies. Most recently, experts are concerned that the recently drafted Income Tax Bill, 2025, will give tax authorities the power to hack into people's computers, cell phones, and even email or social media accounts.
## Conclusion
The use of AI at national borders raises important questions about surveillance, privacy, and national security. While the US Department of Homeland Security and other governments explore ways to monitor online activity, it is essential to consider the potential implications of such tools on individual rights and freedoms.
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