US law enforcement is broadening domestic surveillance to monitor what it calls "anti-tech extremism," according to over 1,000 pages of unpublished Department of Homeland Security and FBI reports obtained by WIRED. Federal intelligence agencies are circulating warnings about activists opposing AI adoption and data center expansion, marking a shift toward monitoring speech and assembly that challenges White House technology priorities.

The surveillance expansion follows President Trump's NSPM 7, which directs the Justice Department to target individuals with "anti-American" and "anti-capitalism" views, plus a counterterrorism strategy identifying left-wing extremists among the top three threats. Officials coined the novel term "anti-tech violent extremism" to describe potential protesters who might oppose AI proliferation, particularly in major cities like New York.

Fusion centers are also tracking threats to data centers, citing concerns about environmental extremists and anti-government actors. However, legal experts note these intelligence reports lump together peaceful protesters and violent extremists under vague "suspicious activity" indicators like photography and observation. The FBI stated it investigates individuals who intend to commit federal crimes or threaten national security.

Critics argue this surveillance apparatus conflates legitimate dissent with terrorism, echoing post-9/11 patterns of labeling activist groups as security threats. Private intelligence firms like SITE Intelligence are monitoring online forums for anti-technology sentiment, raising concerns about overreach in categorizing constitutionally protected speech as extremist activity.