US immigration is gaming Google to create a mirage of mass deportations
ICE has manipulated Google search results by updating timestamps on old press releases, misleading the public about recent deportations and creating fear in immigrant communities, prompting local law enforcement to address misinformation.
Read original article
Recent reports indicate that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has manipulated Google search results to create the illusion of a surge in mass deportations. By updating the timestamps on old press releases, ICE has caused these outdated reports to appear as recent news in search results. This tactic has led to confusion and fear within immigrant communities, as many of the press releases detail enforcement actions that occurred years ago, such as operations from 2010 and 2018. An immigration lawyer discovered this pattern while tracking ICE activities and found that numerous press releases were timestamped as updated on January 24, 2025, despite being years old. This strategy appears to be part of a broader effort to instill fear among immigrants, coinciding with the Trump administration's focus on strict immigration enforcement. Experts suggest that this manipulation of search engine optimization (SEO) is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and amplify the perception of ongoing mass arrests. The situation has prompted local law enforcement to address unfounded rumors of ICE raids, highlighting the real-world consequences of this misinformation.
- ICE has updated timestamps on old press releases to mislead the public about recent enforcement actions.
- Many press releases that appear recent detail operations from years ago, creating confusion and fear in immigrant communities.
- This tactic aligns with the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement agenda.
- Local law enforcement has had to counteract misinformation regarding ICE raids in their areas.
- Experts suggest this manipulation is a deliberate strategy to enhance the visibility of ICE's activities online.
Related
Annoyed Redditors tanking Google results illustrates perils of AI scrapers
Londoners are sharing false restaurant recommendations on Reddit to deter tourists, highlighting issues with Google Search's AI Overview feature, which may prioritize misleading user-generated content over accurate information.
Annoyed Redditors tanking Google Search results shows perils of AI scrapers
Londoners are spreading false restaurant recommendations on Reddit to deter tourists, highlighting issues with Google Search's AI Overview feature and raising concerns about misinformation and the quality of AI training data.
Google Hit 1B DMCA Requests Last Year – Here's What They're Really Used For
Google processed over 1 billion DMCA takedown requests last year, with misuse for reputation management and SEO tactics raising concerns about trust and access to unfiltered online information.
The Tech Arsenal That Could Power Trump's Immigration Crackdown
The Trump administration plans to enhance immigration enforcement using advanced surveillance technologies, having spent $7.8 billion since 2020, raising privacy concerns while increasing demand for such solutions.
GitHub Reveals How Software Engineers Are Purging Federal Databases
A GitHub project called "Remove-DEI" seeks to eliminate diversity-related terms from a federal database, aligning with Trump-era policies, impacting the Head Start program and raising transparency concerns.
2 commentsAfter: https://web.archive.org/web/20250206151050/https://www.ice.g...
Search result:
> ICE arrests 85 during 4-day Colorado operation - Jan 24, 2025
----
It would seem that this claim boils down to:
> ICE added a "this is old" banner and google used that event to mislead people into thinking that it's new.
Maybe so, or maybe they're just too incompetent to accurately extract the publication date. But if you click the link you immediately see the banner warning you that the content is old.
If this is evidence of a conspiracy, it's not exactly a dastardly one. I see it as evidence that we need to stop using mutable media for news so that it's neither feasible to carry out ministry-of-truth type shenanigans, nor is it reasonable to accuse people of ministry-of-truth type shenanigans.
The most recent change before this one was as recent as November 2024. The change made at that time was to switch a phone number in the footer out for an email address, which also triggered "Updated" to change.
TL;DR: not gaming Google, just made a regular change
Related
Annoyed Redditors tanking Google results illustrates perils of AI scrapers
Londoners are sharing false restaurant recommendations on Reddit to deter tourists, highlighting issues with Google Search's AI Overview feature, which may prioritize misleading user-generated content over accurate information.
Annoyed Redditors tanking Google Search results shows perils of AI scrapers
Londoners are spreading false restaurant recommendations on Reddit to deter tourists, highlighting issues with Google Search's AI Overview feature and raising concerns about misinformation and the quality of AI training data.
Google Hit 1B DMCA Requests Last Year – Here's What They're Really Used For
Google processed over 1 billion DMCA takedown requests last year, with misuse for reputation management and SEO tactics raising concerns about trust and access to unfiltered online information.
The Tech Arsenal That Could Power Trump's Immigration Crackdown
The Trump administration plans to enhance immigration enforcement using advanced surveillance technologies, having spent $7.8 billion since 2020, raising privacy concerns while increasing demand for such solutions.
GitHub Reveals How Software Engineers Are Purging Federal Databases
A GitHub project called "Remove-DEI" seeks to eliminate diversity-related terms from a federal database, aligning with Trump-era policies, impacting the Head Start program and raising transparency concerns.