Message to Substackers: if Trump gets his way and his armed ICE and Homeland thugs expand their purview to get us we'll be easy to find

Wikipedia describes social media as follows:

Social media are new media technologies that facilitate the creation, sharing and aggregation of content (such as ideas, interests, and other forms of expression) amongst virtual communities and networks. Common features include:

• Online platforms enable users to create and share content and participate in social networking.

• User-generated content—such as text posts or comments, digital photosor videos, and data generated through online interactions.

• Service-specific profiles that are designed and maintained by the social media organization.

• Social media helps the development of online social networks by connecting a user’s profile with those of other individuals or groups.

  This is a New York Times article today (subscription)

  

• Caption: The Department of Homeland Security is expanding its efforts to identify Americans who oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Credit...Victor J. Blue for The New York Times

  This is a photo used in the article:

  

  Here are some takeaways:

• ICE is sending tech companies legal requests for the names, email addresses, telephone numbers and other identifying data behind social media accounts that track or criticize the agency.

• Google, Reddit, Discord and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, have received hundreds of administrative subpoenas from the Department of Homeland Security.

  Google, Meta and Reddit complied with some of the requests.

• Some of the companies notified the people whom the government had requested data on and gave them 10 to 14 days to fight the subpoena in court.

Here’s an article that doesn’t require a subscription to read:

Substack isn’t referred to in the Times or Arts Technica articles and it isn’t in the Wikipedia entry for Social Media. However, Substack meets all of the criteria for being called social media.

Perhaps we aren’t on the list shown above because we only have about 35 million users. This is from “Substack User and Revenue Statistics (2026)” (reference).

Excerpt:

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, newsletters have emerged as a powerful medium for content creators to connect with their audience. At the forefront of this revolution is Substack, a platform that has redefined the way writers monetize their craft. As an SEO expert at IncRev, I’m excited to dive deep into the fascinating world of Substack statistics, offering you invaluable insights that can propel your content strategy to new heights.

The Meteoric Rise of Substack: A Statistical Overview for 2026

Substack’s journey from a simple newsletter tool to a content powerhouse is nothing short of remarkable. Let’s break down the numbers that tell the story of its explosive growth:

• Over 35 million monthly active subscribers

• More than 5 million paid subscriptions

• 17,000+ writers earning income through the platform

• The top 10 authors collectively rake in $40 million annually

These figures aren’t just impressive; they’re a testament to the platform’s ability to create value for both writers and readers.

Does this mean that Substackers will be protected from surveillance and harassment by the office bound prissy punks in the paramilitary police state with the power to send their armed thugs to our doorsteps?

This depends on how thorough they are. Many of us, even small Substackers like me, can be found with a web search if anyone makes the effort. Others who write against ICE like myself and my Substacker friend Sabrina Haake cross-post on Facebook which is part of META. So does Bristol Co. Mass. Sheriff Paul Heroux and fellow Portland resident David Loftus.

Even the well-know progressive figure Thom Hartmann not only has a popular Substack and radio show but posts on Facebook.

If the punks with pistols who didn’t make a high enough sadistic psychopathic personality score or weren't buff enough to get onto the street to terrorize us are compensating by tracking us down using their IT skills searching Facebook and sites like X, and BlueSky, where some of us repost links to our Substacks, they will find us.

Once they know our names they will no doubt have our Social Security numbers, access to just about every data base which will include not merely where we live and work, but what organizations we belong to. They’d even have a list of every firearm we ever purchased through the federal firearms ownership database should they decide to disarm us.

I added this article yesterday evening to that Substack. It is relevant to that Substack and to this one:

Related to what I wrote today is that they copied his cellphone. This would have all his social media on it.

Recent: