The Trump administration has escalated a federal case to identify an anonymous social media poster, ordering Reddit to appear before a grand jury in Washington, DC, after earlier attempts to obtain the user’s identity were blocked in court.

According to US media outlet The Intercept, federal prosecutors have given the platform, which enables users to easily separate their offline identity from their online activity, until April 14th to turn over identifying information tied to the account, including name, address, and phone number.

The move shifts the case into a grand jury process, which operates in secret and gives prosecutors broad investigative powers, with limited opportunities to challenge.

The effort began in March when US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued an administrative summons seeking data on the user, identified in court filings as “John Doe.”

That request was challenged in federal court in Northern California by lawyers from the Civil Liberties Defense Center, who argued it targeted political speech.

The user’s legal representation added that the posts in question were relatively minor and appear typical of many comments at the time from users critical of ICE’s actions.

Comments did not amount to criminal activity, lawyers argue

In one instance, the Redditor responded to a news article about an ICE officer by sharing biographical details that had already been publicly reported and then writing, “Hopefully he moves to Stillwater State Penitentiary."

In another, the user joked about a slogan for an anti-ICE protest sign: “Urine speaks louder than words.” In a third post on another comment thread, Doe wrote: “TSA sucks, and we all know it.”

After reviewing the posts, the defense said that they found “nothing to suggest criminal activity or intent.”

When the initial summons was challenged, the government’s effort stalled in court. The subsequent decision to pursue a grand jury subpoena in Washington represents a significant escalation and, if it goes ahead, will set a new precedent.

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“This is something to be taken very seriously,” said David Greene, senior counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Grand jury proceedings, he noted, are typically used to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.

“The only valid use of a grand jury is to investigate federal crimes,” Civil Liberties Defense Center’s executive director Lauren Regan told The Intercept.

“It’s unclear how Doe’s Reddit posts are evidence of a crime, and the administration is able to hide what they are doing under the guise of a federal grand jury,” she added.

Reddit grand jury case could set new precedent

Since Donald Trump returned to office, federal authorities have increasingly sought to identify anonymous social media users critical of immigration enforcement.

Officials say such accounts may endanger officers or amount to doxxing, but civil liberties advocates argue the cases often involve little more than expressions of anger or sharing of public information.

Reddit declined to say whether it intends to challenge the government’s order.

“Privacy is central to how Reddit operates, and we take our commitment to protecting that seriously,” the company said in a statement to The Intercept.

“We do not voluntarily share information with any government, especially not on users exercising their rights to criticize the government or plan a protest.”

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