{"id":422117,"date":"2026-01-20T20:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T20:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/422117\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T20:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T20:30:08","slug":"vancouver-company-hootsuite-seeks-business-with-ice-amid-financial-pressures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/422117\/","title":{"rendered":"Vancouver company Hootsuite seeks business with ICE amid financial pressures"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

ICE agents and other U.S. officers clash with protesters in Minneapolis on Jan. 13. Hootsuite has secured a contract that involves monitoring social media discussion about the U.S. immigration enforcement agency, though the full scope of the work is unclear.OCTAVIO JONES\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Hootsuite Inc. has been pursuing business with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the United States, more than five years after employee backlash forced the Vancouver tech company to cancel a contract<\/a> to provide social-media management services to the agency.<\/p>\n

The company secured a US$95,000 pilot project with ICE in September, according to internal communications obtained by The Globe and Mail. The project stems from existing work with Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Both agencies fall under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are charged with carrying out U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s campaign to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. <\/p>\n

Hootsuite has discussed monitoring conversations and sentiment on social media related to the agencies, including talk of ICE enforcement actions in specific cities and public perception of the CBP commissioner, according to materials obtained by The Globe.<\/p>\n

One e-mail sent internally by a Hootsuite sales employee in September, 2025, described the project with ICE as a \u201cTrojan Horse Deal\u201d that could turn into a seven-figure contract. The author mentioned travelling to Washington with \u201cIrina\u201d \u2013 Hootsuite\u2019s chief executive officer is Irina Novoselsky \u2013 to \u201cbrief ICE on how Hootsuite and Talkwalker can support their mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talkwalker is a company that Hootsuite bought in 2024<\/a> to expand its analytic capabilities. Talkwalker\u2019s technology combs through<\/a> social-media platforms such as Facebook, X and YouTube, along with websites, podcasts and forums for mentions of customers, and then analyses the material for positive or negative sentiment and emotional tone. Hootsuite calls this \u201csocial listening.\u201d<\/p>\n

The scope of Hootsuite\u2019s work with ICE and CBP is not clear. <\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky.HO\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n

Seneca Strategic Partners in New York State has a contract with DHS<\/a> to use Hootsuite for social-media management, according to a U.S. government database. About US$1.1-million has been allotted by the government under the contract since August, 2024. That includes US$684,111 in September, 2025, to add Talkwalker to the contract, which has a potential value of US$2.8-million by 2029.<\/p>\n

(Business in Vancouver first reported on the existence of the Seneca contract<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Hootsuite did not respond to emails for comment, nor did Ms. Novoselsky.<\/p>\n

ICE, CBP and DHS did not answer questions before publication. Seneca also did not respond.<\/p>\n

Founded in 2008, Hootsuite became a tech darling as social media exploded. Young workers flocked to its headquarters, bringing their dogs to the office, referring to themselves as \u201cowls\u201d and partying at company retreats known as Hootcamp. The company promotes diversity and inclusion on its website, and one of its core values<\/a> is to \u201cgive back to our communities and be an ally.\u201d<\/p>\n

But financial pressures have dogged Hootsuite, which abandoned a sale process in late 2018 when offers came in below expectations and prospective buyers worried about revenue growth and low profitability<\/a>. Founder Ryan Holmes stepped down as CEO in 2020, but remains a company director. (He did not reply to e-mails seeking comment.)<\/p>\n

More recently, Fidelity Investments cut the value of its Hootsuite stake to $19.2-million as of June, 2025, from $25.1-million six months earlier. In October, Hootsuite laid off 20 per cent<\/a> of its work force, Business in Vancouver reported. <\/p>\n

One financial metric, which Hootsuite calls sales-enabled annual recurring revenue, was on track last fall to hit US$256-million by year-end \u2013 US$18-million short of expectations, owing to higher customer churn and slower expansion, according to an internal slide obtained by The Globe. <\/p>\n

Given Hootsuite\u2019s financial pressures, government clients that sign multiyear contracts are important, particularly the Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n

Last September, a Hootsuite sales rep named Bill Cynecki sent an e-mail internally to celebrate social-listening business with CBP and the pilot with ICE. Such e-mails are regularly sent by sales reps after closing deals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been chasing this for over three years,\u201d wrote Mr. Cynecki, a former U.S. Army Reserve officer who handles U.S. federal accounts for Hootsuite, according to his LinkedIn profile, specifically the \u201cDepartment of War\u201d \u2013 now used as a secondary name by the U.S. Department of Defence.<\/p>\n

He first helped to close a US$58,000 deal with CBP three years prior that had expanded to US$700,000 in value, he wrote, adding that Hootsuite had visited the agency\u2019s headquarters close to 10 times. <\/p>\n

He described CBP as \u201cthe anchor agency for a broader DHS expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n

With ICE, it wasn\u2019t until he updated his LinkedIn profile picture to show him appearing \u201cin uniform\u201d that his contact at the agency entertained a meeting, he wrote.<\/p>\n

Mr. Cynecki said that he and three co-workers, including \u201cIrina,\u201d flew to Washington to meet with ICE.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always an honor to work on anything tied to America\u2019s national security. This is the greatest country on earth \u2013 and this deal has the potential to grow into Hootsuite\u2019s biggest accounts \u2026 LFG!!!\u201d he wrote, ending with shorthand for a profane call to action. (He has championed Hootsuite\u2019s budding relationship with CBP\u2019s social-media team in LinkedIn posts, too.) <\/p>\n

Reached by phone, Mr. Cynecki referred The Globe to Hootsuite\u2019s media contact.<\/p>\n

Backlash against ICE has surged during Mr. Trump\u2019s second presidential term. Armed and masked ICE officers have been deployed to some American cities to apprehend and deport undocumented immigrants, clashing with protesters and civilians. <\/p>\n

An ICE officer shot and killed<\/a> a 37-year-old mother of three in Minneapolis, Minn., this month, drawing widespread condemnation. Organizations such as Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union have criticized ICE\u2019s removal tactics<\/a>, saying they deny people a fair hearing in court and tear families apart<\/a>.<\/p>\n

January 14: Minneapolis has become a flashpoint for the backlash against ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown after a woman was fatally shot by an agent in the city this month.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press<\/p>\n

In an internal AI-generated transcript of an October call between Hootsuite employees and an apparent CBP worker reviewed by The Globe, the individuals discuss building a dashboard to learn what people are discussing in real time about ICE roundups, including Operation Midway Blitz<\/a>, which began in Chicago in September. A Hootsuite employee mentioned geolocation, saying the company could drill down to street-level data. (The Globe has not listened to audio of the call.)<\/p>\n

The group also discussed creating a dashboard for CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott, \u201cso we can kind of get sentiment around how he\u2019s performing as a key leader,\u201d a Hootsuite employee said.<\/p>\n

Word of the company\u2019s pilot with ICE spread within Hootsuite after Mr. Cynecki\u2019s e-mail. But employees who had concerns did not feel comfortable speaking openly for fear of losing their jobs, according to two sources familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n

(The Globe is not identifying the sources because they are not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.)<\/p>\n

The reticence relates to what happened in September, 2020, when an employee revealed on social media that Hootsuite had a contract with ICE. The posts prompted a wave of media coverage and an online petition demanding Hootsuite cancel the deal.<\/p>\n

Within days, then-CEO Tom Keiser announced that Hootsuite would not proceed with the ICE contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have heard the lived experiences from our people and the hurt they are feeling. The decision has created a divided company, and this is not the kind of company I came to lead,\u201d Mr. Keiser said at the time.<\/p>\n

The employee who revealed the deal left Hootsuite shortly after, saying the departure wasn\u2019t her choice<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ms. Novoselsky, based in New York, took over as CEO in January, 2023. Her family came from Ukraine to the United States as refugees, a story she frequently tells. \u201cIf you\u2019re just born into the wrong place, it\u2019s very difficult to get out. And so I have a lot of appreciation for that,\u201d she said in an interview posted to YouTube this month<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Her challenge was to make Hootsuite an exciting growth company again. <\/p>\n

\u201cI move at a pace that is difficult to keep up with,\u201d she said in a 2024 interview with The Globe. Much of the C-suite has turned over during her tenure, and one of her big moves was to purchase Talkwalker to bolster Hootsuite\u2019s social-listening capabilities.<\/p>\n

Internally, senior leaders have not discussed the ICE deal in an open forum, according to the sources, even after it came up on an internal Slack channel. The day Hootsuite announced layoffs in October \u2013 and before departing employees were locked out of accounts \u2013 one worker posted, \u201cI\u2019m having a hard time seeing how ICE using Social Listening helps Hootsuite give back to our communities and be an ally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another posted a document with several questions about the relationship, including how Hootsuite would ensure ICE abides by the company\u2019s terms of service<\/a>, which prohibit use for law enforcement, surveillance and tracking.<\/p>\n

Such concerns were heightened after media reports that ICE was seeking contractors<\/a> to expand its digital surveillance capabilities<\/a>. That included scouring social-media platforms to provide leads for individuals who \u201cpose a danger\u201d to national security and public safety, according to the contract opportunity posted online by ICE.<\/p>\n

Mr. Cynecki later replied on Slack. <\/p>\n

\u201cICE is using social listening not to amplify one political aisle, but to better understand how they\u2019re perceived; especially by audiences who may distrust them. They want to listen, build trust, and communicate more effectively as an agency that serves all Americans,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAt a moment when revenue is so critical for our company, I\u2019m proud we\u2019re earning a seat at that table.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for public perception, the CBP employee acknowledged the challenge on the October conference call, noting that one sentiment dashboard was 100 per cent negative. \u201cThat\u2019s not really surprising to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: ICE agents and other U.S. officers clash with protesters in Minneapolis on Jan.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422118,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[901,888,902,879,877,903,49,48,876,895,896,891,878,875,46,549,295,894,887,914,880,881,893,889,890,884,904,885,909,910,44,912,907,911,905,908,882,898,899,714,897,906,865,61,900,892,886,883,913],"class_list":{"0":"post-422117","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"tag-alberta","9":"tag-arts-news","10":"tag-bc","11":"tag-breaking-news","12":"tag-breaking-news-video","13":"tag-british-columbia","14":"tag-ca","15":"tag-canada","16":"tag-canada-news","17":"tag-canada-sports","18":"tag-canada-sports-news","19":"tag-canada-trafficcanada-weather","20":"tag-canadian-breaking-news","21":"tag-canadian-news","22":"tag-economy","23":"tag-education","24":"tag-environment","25":"tag-federal-government","26":"tag-foreign-news","27":"tag-globe-and-mail","28":"tag-globe-and-mail-breaking-news","29":"tag-globe-and-mail-canada-news","30":"tag-government","31":"tag-life-news","32":"tag-lifestyle","33":"tag-local-news","34":"tag-manitoba","35":"tag-national-news","36":"tag-new-brunswick","37":"tag-newfoundland-and-labrador","38":"tag-news","39":"tag-northwest-territories","40":"tag-nova-scotia","41":"tag-nunavut","42":"tag-ontario","43":"tag-pei","44":"tag-photos","45":"tag-political-news","46":"tag-political-opinion","47":"tag-politics","48":"tag-politics-news","49":"tag-quebec","50":"tag-sports-news","51":"tag-technology","52":"tag-travel","53":"tag-trudeau","54":"tag-us-news","55":"tag-world-news","56":"tag-yukon"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}