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Hootsuite faces backlash following ICE contract. While they insist their technology is not for surveillance, others feel differently February 16, 2026 By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer Recently, Vancouver-based company Hootsuite has come under fire for its contract with the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the governmental agency which contains Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Customs and Border Protection. Hootsuite is an "all-in-one social media management tool" designed to help individuals and businesses manage their online presence. The corporation signed onto an agreement with the DHS beginning in August 2024 through a third-party contractor. A message on the DHS website stated that the organization "will only use Hootsuite to manage DHS social media accounts listed on the DHS Social Media Directory to improve the delivery of information and services to the general public, while promoting transparency and accountability, as a service for those seeking information about, or services from, the Department." While set to expire in August of this year, the contract includes an optional renewal through mid-August 2029, amounting to a payout of up to $3.8 million. This is not the first time Hootsuite has partnered with the DHS. The social media company signed a three-year contract with ICE in 2020, only to reverse course due to subsequent backlash. Similar resistance has occurred in recent weeks, but the company has no intention of voiding their agreement this time, "so long as the agency abides by the terms of service." Hootsuite's acceptable rules of use dictate that their technology may not be used "for law enforcement, surveillance, tracking, etc." ICE is now the single "highest-funded US law enforcement agency," with a budget of $116 billion. The Trump administration has stated goals of up to 1 million deportations per year, as ICE agents increasingly arrest and detain immigrants with no criminal record, violate America's Fourth Amendment, and murder detainees and protesters alike. The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, requiring law enforcement to obtain warrants based on probable cause. The Peak reached out to Hootsuite for more information. The company said it had nothing new to add, pointing to a public letter from CEO Irina Novoselsky that reiterates the corporation's stance on surveillance and tracking. The Peak also spoke with Prem Sylvester, a researcher and project co-lead at the Digital Democracies Institute, for more information on Hootsuite's statements. The SFU institute brings researchers with backgrounds in an array of disciplines together to "create critical and creative responses to our data-filled world." Speaking on the difference between surveillance and the delivery of insights via Hootsuite, Sylvester noted, "The Peak think of those two as separate activities, whereas it's evidently not been the case that the kind of language and the kind of rhetoric that ICE uses on social media posts is separate from how they conceive of this idea of the quote-unquote 'illegal immigrant' and how that sort of language and rhetoric is weaponized. "How ICE figures out the language that is useful for them to use on social media is due to tools like Hootsuite that give them the ability to understand what their audience wants." - Prem Sylvester, researcher and project co-lead at the Digital Democracies Institute Such technology allows the DHS to see "what gets more views, what gets more engagement with their post, and therefore sort of advances that rhetoric, that language, that sort of project of dehumanization," said Sylvester. Mike Tan, Hootsuite's first finance executive, addressed a crowd of about 250 people at a protest last month, according to CBC. "I see all the violence that's taking place," he said in reference to ICE, "shame on Hootsuite."

Hootsuite CEO addresses backlash on U.S. Homeland Security contract. The CEO of Hootsuite, Irina Novoselsky, has addressed growing concerns over the company's contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), specifically regarding its collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This contract, which commences in August 2024, is valued at up to $2.8 million and involves the provision of social media management services. Details of the contract. According to information from a U.S. government procurement website, Hootsuite is partnering with Seneca Strategic Partners, a firm linked to the Seneca Nation of Indians. The agreement is aimed at providing support services for Hootsuite's social media management platform for the DHS. Public backlash and protests. A protest organized by Democracy Rising is scheduled outside Hootsuite's headquarters in Vancouver. The group calls for the company to terminate its contract with ICE and issue a public apology. This movement follows a series of incidents involving ICE, which have escalated tensions in communities, especially in Minnesota. * Protest Date: Planned for Friday * Organizer: Democracy Rising * Demands: Cancel contracts and issue public apology CEO's statement on ICE engagement. In her statement, Novoselsky expressed her disapproval of the recent enforcement actions carried out by ICE, particularly after two citizens were killed in federal agent-related shootings. She acknowledged the impact these events have had on communities and emphasized that Hootsuite's tools are not utilized for individual tracking or surveillance. "Our use-case with ICE does not include tracking or surveillance of individuals using our tools," she stated, asserting that such claims are false and against Hootsuite's terms of service. Previous contract with ICE. It's important to note that Hootsuite previously had a contract with ICE, which was terminated in 2020 after an emotional response from staff opposed to working with the agency. The then-CEO cited internal divisions as a primary reason for halting the contract. Impact on Canadian businesses. B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma has urged local businesses to reconsider their partnerships with ICE, reflecting a broader concern about the implications of such associations. This call to action follows a separate transaction involving Jim Pattison Developments, which is selling a Virginia warehouse to ICE. * Current Climate: Canadian companies urged to evaluate business dealings with ICE * Example Case: Jim Pattison Developments selling property to ICE The ongoing situation underscores the complexities faced by global companies like Hootsuite when dealing with sensitive governmental contracts and public sentiment. Adjustments in policy or contracts can drastically affect corporate reputation and employee morale.

Hootsuite lays off 20 percent of its global workforce. Hootsuite confirmed the layoffs to BetaKit in an email statement after they were first reported by BIV. The company did not share exactly how many employees were affected, or how many were based in Canada. After its last round of layoffs in 2023, Hootsuite told BetaKit it had 900 employees. Hootsuite currently has just over 1,700 associated members on LinkedIn, nearly 800 of which are in Canada. In either case, hundreds of employees are likely affected by the cuts. Hootsuite told BetaKit it is "supporting departing and remaining employees" through the layoff process. "Our success depends on building an organization where decisions happen faster, ownership is clearer, and teams are empowered to act with accountability," the company said. "With these changes, we're investing in our future: enabling better focus and execution to support our enterprise growth priorities and show up even stronger for our customers." The layoffs come less than a week after Hootsuite was named a finalist for the Anchor Company of the Year award in the BC Tech Association's Technology Impact Awards. The category acknowledges an established leader in the BC technology industry. In a LinkedIn post encouraging other companies to hire the laid-off workers, Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky said the company is evolving with "the changing world of social media." "We're setting ourselves up for the next chapter: removing layers, clarifying accountability, and organizing around the areas that will drive our next stage of growth," Novoselsky wrote. In 2022, Hootsuite undertook a series of job cuts that ended with Novoselsky's appointment to the CEO role. When Novoselsky joined Hootsuite in January 2023, the company had just cut its workforce by more than 35 percent within six months.