Federal Prosecutors Subpoena Reddit to Unmask Anonymous ICE Critic

The Trump administration has escalated its effort to identify an anonymous Reddit user who posted criticism of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, issuing a federal grand jury subpoena after an earlier summons failed to produce the information. The subpoena, obtained by The Intercept, demands that Reddit provide personal data on the user and appear before a grand jury in Washington, D.C. Reddit has until April 14 to comply, according to the document. The legal effort began in March when the Department of Homeland Security issued an administrative summons seeking user information. An attorney representing the anonymous user filed a motion to quash that summons in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on March 12. The move to a grand jury subpoena represents a significant escalation, potentially exposing the user to criminal proceedings. Digital rights advocates expressed concern that the government is using legal process to identify a political critic. The case raises questions about the scope of government authority to compel platforms to identify anonymous speakers and the protections available to users who rely on pseudonymity to discuss controversial topics. Reddit did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the subpoena.