In a significant investment that raises privacy concerns, police in Goliad County, Texas, have deployed an artificial intelligence-powered phone-tracking software known as Tangles. This initiative, which began with a human smuggling investigation in June 2021, has prompted questions about the tool’s effectiveness and its implications for civil liberties.
The investigation was initiated by Chief Deputy Tim Futch, who pursued a speeding pickup truck suspected of carrying undocumented immigrants. After the driver fled into a ditch, several individuals escaped from the vehicle. In the aftermath, Sheriff Roy Boyd discovered a receipt from a liquor store in Pasadena, Texas. This led him to authorize the use of Tangles, a tool that conducts warrantless surveillance through its geofencing feature, which tracks mobile devices within a specified area.
Boyd acquired a license for Tangles using approximately $300,000 in state border security grants. Despite the significant investment, Boyd admitted he has limited technological expertise, still relying on an outdated iPhone model from 2017. Goliad County, a small community of around 7,000 residents, has joined a larger task force under Operation Lone Star, Texas Governor Greg Abbott‘s initiative aimed at combating border-related crimes.
The task force, which includes nearly 60 agencies, has collectively spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Tangles. The software, developed by Cobwebs Technologies, claims to aggregate data from various online sources, including commercial data brokers, enabling law enforcement to track mobile devices without a warrant. This practice raises alarms among civil liberties advocates, especially following a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that established warrants are necessary for obtaining cell phone location data.
Critics, including Nathan Wessler, an attorney with the ACLU, argue that the use of such tools undermines constitutional protections. “Police are circumventing judicial oversight by simply purchasing data instead of seeking a warrant,” he noted. Boyd’s office has stated that Tangles is used to substantiate existing probable cause rather than as a standalone basis for arrests.
Despite the extensive investment in Tangles, reports detailing its effectiveness in criminal cases remain scarce. Boyd could only cite one example involving the software, and a records request revealed that Goliad County had no reports detailing its use over the past three years. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has also invested heavily in Tangles, signing a contract worth $5.3 million in 2024 and spending nearly $200,000 in 2021.
Beyond Texas, the software has been adopted by various law enforcement agencies, including those in El Salvador, where it is reportedly used under a regime known for its authoritarian practices. These developments have led to growing concerns about the potential misuse of surveillance technologies, particularly in repressive contexts.
PenLink Ltd, which acquired Cobwebs Technologies in 2023, asserts that their products comply with privacy laws and ethical standards. A spokesperson emphasized their commitment to providing law enforcement with tools to enhance public safety. Nevertheless, watchdog organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) continue to scrutinize the implications of such surveillance tools, arguing they pose significant risks to civil liberties.
Despite the lack of transparency regarding Tangles’ impact on arrests or prosecutions, Boyd and deputy Caleb Breshears maintain that the software does not inherently violate privacy rights. They assert that it tracks devices using numbers rather than personal identifiers.
As law enforcement agencies increasingly adopt advanced surveillance technologies, the debate surrounding the balance between public safety and individual privacy rights continues. The Texas Observer’s ongoing investigation has highlighted the need for greater accountability and oversight in the deployment of such tools, especially in instances where taxpayer money is at stake.
The conversation around Tangles and similar technologies is far from over, as lawmakers and civil rights advocates push for clearer regulations governing their use. Texas officials have yet to provide concrete examples of how Tangles has directly contributed to criminal investigations, raising questions about the true effectiveness of such significant financial commitments.
