Google's AI will help Trump monitor the US-Mexico border

The post Google's AI will help Trump monitor the US-Mexico border appeared first on Android Headlines.

Apr 4, 2025 - 13:05

Summary: Despite Google previously insisting it did not have anything to do with immigration enforcement, recent documents suggest otherwise. A report from The Intercept reveals that Google is playing a role in the CBP’s enforcement of the US-Mexico border, where the company will provide its cloud computing and AI tools.

Remember when Google Cloud’s CEO Thomas Kurian told employees four years ago that the company had nothing to do with immigration enforcement at the southern border? It turns out it wasn’t completely true. According to federal contracts reviewed by The Intercept, Google is using its AI cloud tech services to help Trump monitor the US-Mexico border.

Google’s AI-powered surveillance

According to the report, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is revamping its aging camera towers in Arizona with machine learning upgrades. IBM and Equitus are supplying the smarts. IBM is providing its Maximo Visual Inspection software, and Equitus is providing its Terminator-esque Video Sentinel system.

This software flags “caravan-style” movements and even labels people carrying backpacks as suspected “mules.”

So, where does Google fit into all of this? While IBM and Equitus handle the AI models, Google provides the cloud solution called MAGE (ModulAr Google Cloud Platform Environment). CBP’s video feeds go straight into Google’s servers. It supports up to 100 simultaneous video feeds from six different sites all at once. From there, Google’s AI cloud will provide the analysis that will help Trump monitor the US-Mexico border.

Google downplays involvement

Google’s Public Sector boss, Jim Kelly, tried to downplay the company’s involvement. Kelly basically suggested that the company isn’t under contract. He also compares Google Cloud to buying hardware off a shelf.

“In this case, Google Cloud is not on the contract. That said, customers or partners can purchase Google Cloud’s off-the-shelf compute, storage, and networking products for their own use, much like they might use a mobile network or run their own computer hardware.”

However, as The Intercept notes, CBP is still running its surveillance data through Google’s infrastructure. Since it requires a constant connection, that cannot happen without Google’s knowledge.

Let’s not forget the potential privacy implications these systems have for border communities. Speaking to The Intercept, Dave Maass, director of investigations at the Electronic Frontier Foundation said, “On top of the wasted tax dollars, border communities end up paying the price with their privacy, as demonstrated by the recent findings by the Government Accountability Office that CBP had failed to implement six out of six key privacy policy requirements.”

The post Google's AI will help Trump monitor the US-Mexico border appeared first on Android Headlines.