A TikTok claiming to offer six signs you’ve been put on a government watchlist is drawing debate online.
Featured VideoBack in July, @rebuild.with.ryan shared a controversial two-minute clip in which he warned viewers, “You don’t need to be a criminal to end up on a government watchlist.”
“These lists aren’t just for terrorists or fugitives. They’re used to monitor people preemptively, hence the term predictive policing. You can land on one for being associated with people under investigation, attending the wrong protest, showing up in certain search history, facial recognition scans, or metadata,” he claimed. “And they call it non-investigative subject status. No charges. No warrant. Just quiet surveillance.”
The concepts of predictive policing or being on a government watchlist certainly aren’t new, nor are they made up. But with a lot of secrecy innately surrounding these topics, there are inevitably also conspiracy theories, misinformation, and even outright paranoia involved in discussions. Of course, that doesn’t mean every discussion involving them is untrue, or should be ignored, just that it’s a complex topic with a lot going on behind closed doors.
Advertisement@rebuild.with.ryan Watchlisted Without Charges? Here’s How You Know #watchlist #surveillance #fusioncenter #privacy #targeted #knowyourrights #prisontiktok #fyp #stayup ♬ original sound – Rebuild With Ryan
Signs you may be on a government watchlist
Ryan frequently posts videos about dealing with various government agencies, investigations, and surveillance. Because of this, he felt confident offering up six suggestions of things that he believes might—keyword: might—signify you’re on one of these government watchlists.
1. Airport screenings
“You might get pulled over for extra screening at airports,” Ryan says. “So even if you have pre-check at TSA, you might be getting randomly questioned or delayed a lot.”
Advertisement2. Missing or damaged mail
“Your mail starts coming up missing or arriving damaged, especially legal paperwork, FOIA requests, or anything from advocacy groups. Interdiction teams don’t need probably cause,” he claims. “They just need suspicion.”
3. Suspicious vehicles
“Unmarked vehicles start showing up near your home but no one ever gets out. No contact, no confrontation,” he says. “Just presence to let you know you’re visible.
Advertisement4. Interrogation of acquaintances
The fourth suggestion might be a little trickier to find out about. Ryan says, “Your friends, family, or coworkers might get quietly approached and asked about you. And you might not even hear about it unless somebody tells you. And trust me, when I tell you, they have very persuasive ways of preventing people from talking.”
5. Glitches
“You suddenly lose access to certain government systems. So maybe the IRS won’t verify your identity, or student aid glitches,” he tells viewers. “You didn’t change anything, but the door just closes.”
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“In some situations, your content might get restricted or flagged. No violations, no warnings. Your reach just vanishes,” Ryan concludes.
“This is what soft surveillance looks like. There’s no knock on the door. No case number,” he adds. “Just quiet tracking, pattern recognition and data fusion until they decide you’re worth escalating.”
Debate over the truth
Although the TikTok was originally posted back in July, it was recently shared to the r/TikTokCringe subreddit, which covers “The Best and Worst of TikTok.” This particular post requested a discussion, and responders were split on how they felt about Ryan’s video.
AdvertisementMany thought there was quite a bit of validity to what he had to say.
AdvertisementOthers were more skeptical about the specifics, if not everything.
AdvertisementThe Daily Dot has reached out to Ryan for comment via TikTok message.
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