Coinbase Providing “Geo Tracking Data” to ICE

Coinbase is selling Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to Coinbase Tracer, a blockchain intelligence tool used to trace cryptocurrency transactions, according to contract documents shared with The Intercept. The contract, released through a Freedom of Information Act request obtained by Jack Poulson of Tech Inquiry, gives ICE analytics features across nearly a dozen digital currencies, including bitcoin, ether, and tether, and lists "Historical geo tracking data" without explaining its source. Coinbase spokesperson Natasha LaBranche pointed to a website disclaimer saying Tracer uses public sources and not Coinbase user data, but did not answer questions about how ICE uses the tool. An ICE spokesperson said the tool supports investigations of opioid traffickers and cyber criminals and is not used in civil immigration enforcement.