The GOST website states that it leverages information on the open and deep web and applies search parameters focused on behavioral patterns rather than identity labels.

"The government should not be using algorithms to scrutinize our social media posts and decide which of us is 'risky.' And agencies certainly shouldn't be buying this kind of black box technology in secret without any accountability," said Patrick Toomey, Deputy Director of the ACLU's National Security Project. "DHS needs to explain to the public how its systems determine whether someone is a 'risk' or not, and what happens to the people whose online posts are flagged by its algorithms."