Department of Homeland Security privacy probe will focus on biometric tracking by ICE, OBIM

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The Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog office has launched an audit of the agency’s privacy practices amid allegations that DHS and its components have used facial recognition tools and other technologies to collect data broadly and violate civil liberties. The audit, according to a Feb. 5 letter from DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari and published by Virginia Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, started the previous day, and is titled “DHS’ Security of Biometric Data and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).” “The objective of the audit is to determine how DHS and its components collect or obtain PII and biometric data related to immigration enforcement efforts and the extent to which that data is managed, shared, and secured in accordance with law, regulation, and Departmental policy,” Cuffari wrote. The Air Force now prohibits airmen from wearing Meta AI glasses and similar devices in uniform due to operational security risks. However, guidelines across the Defense Department regarding their use varies, with some services even experimenting with how smart glasses can improve certain missions. A uniform regulation update posted by the Air Force on Jan. 9 explicitly states that airmen are not authorized to wear Meta AI glasses while in uniform — a change made “for operational security purposes,” a Department of the Air Force spokesperson told DefenseScoop. #dhs #homelandsecurity #ice #obim #biometricdata #immigration #immigrationenforcement #probe #usgovernment #government #technology #news #markwarner #timkaine #pii #sensitivedata #immigrationnews #govtech #technews #dataprivacy #airforce #smartglasses #metasmartglasses #metaai #aiglasses #metaglasses #meta #cybernews #cybersecurity #privacy #usmilitary #military #miltech #militarytechnology #defense #defensetechnology #defensenews #militarynews #privacy Articles Mentioned • DHS privacy probe will focus on biometric tracking by ICE, OBIM via CyberScoop: https://cyberscoop.com/dhs-ig-audit-ice-obim-biometric-data-privacy-facial-recognition/ • Air Force bans Meta AI glasses over OPSEC concerns, while other services’ policies vary via DefenseScoop: https://defensescoop.com/2026/02/06/meta-ai-glasses-us-military-services-policies/ Follow The Daily Scoop Podcast on Social Media • https://www.twitter.com/DailyScoopPod • https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-daily-scoop-podcast/ • https://www.facebook.com/thedailyscooppodcast About The Daily Scoop Podcast We discuss the latest news and trends facing government leaders on such topics as technology, management and workforce. The program will explore headlines of the day as well as in depth discussions with top executives in both government and industry. The Daily Scoop Podcast is released every weekday afternoon. For the latest insights from Washington, you can subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and Spotify. https://fedscoop.com/show/the-daily-scoop-podcast/