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Resident warns committee HCEMA is using social‑media surveillance tool 'Tangles'
Summary
A Ward 7 resident testified that HCEMA uses a monitoring platform he called 'Tangles' (linked to Penlink/Cobwebs) that can track social posts and targets; he urged HCEMA to end the relationship or provide transparency and assurances on civil‑liberties protections.
A Ward 7 resident told the committee he and others fear HCEMA's use of a social‑media monitoring tool described in testimony as "Tangles," which the witness said can identify faces in photos, perform sentiment analysis, track accounts and geotag events.
"I am here to protest against HCMA's use of a surveillance technology known as Tangles," Joey Ferguson testified. He said the platform can "detect...faces in photos, perform sentiment analysis..." and pressed HCEMA on what guarantees exist that data will not be shared with federal immigration or law enforcement agencies. HCEMA confirmed it operates a fusion center but said alerting and data-sharing practices follow applicable laws; the committee asked for clarity on any data‑sharing agreements and transparency about tool use.
Councilmembers asked HCEMA officials about privacy safeguards and whether the agency could publish transparency reporting about surveillance tools used by the fusion center; both the council and HCEMA staff signaled interest in balancing investigative capability with civil‑liberties protections.
