| Headquarters | Lincoln, Nebraska, USA |
|---|---|
| Products | PLX, Pen-Link 8, LINCOLN2, PenProxy, Xnet |
| Owner | Spire Capital |
| Website | http://www.penlink.com/ |
Pen-Link, Ltd., (PenLink) is a software company that develops enterprise-grade communications surveillance data collection and analysis products for domestic law enforcement.1
History
In July 2023, PenLink merged with Israeli surveillance contractor Cobwebs Technologies, when the latter was acquired for $200 million by private equity firm Spire Capital, which also owns PenLink.23
Products
PenLink's flagship products include PenPoint, PLX, Tangles, and WebLoc.
Tangles is a web platform, originally developed and sold by Israeli firm Cobwebs Technologies, that scrapes data from the open web, deep web, and dark web, as well as allowing for the tracking of mobile devices within a user-designated area, in a process known as "geofencing," through an optional add-on feature called WebLoc.45
Webloc, developed by Cobwebs Technologies and later marketed by Penlink, is described in research by Citizen Lab as an ad-based geolocation surveillance system reported to have processed data associated with up to 500 million mobile devices. The system uses mobile advertising identifiers, GPS and Wi-Fi location data, IP addresses, and behavioural data collected through mobile applications and digital advertising networks. According to the report, it enables large-scale tracking of location patterns, movement analysis, and inference of behavioural profiles. The research further states that, according to the report, such ad-based surveillance techniques have been used by law enforcement and government agencies in countries including the United States, Hungary, and El Salvador.67
One of the more publicized uses of PenLink's products was during the Laci Peterson murder case, where wiretaps taken with Pen-Link 8 and LINCOLN2 were used as evidence against Scott Peterson. Tangles was also used to identify rioters who participated in the January 6 US Capitol attack.8
Clients
The company's clients include US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which signed a $2.7 million two-year contract with PenLink.4 Since 2021, ICE has spent over $5 million on surveillance tools made by Cobwebs (which have been sold by PenLink since 2023), including $2 million spent on Tangles in September 2025.8
ICE tracks smartphone locations using the company's Webloc tool, which relies on location data gathered by smartphone operating systems for advertising purposes (including unique identifiers for each Google or Apple device).9
In 2024 the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) signed a $5.3 million five-year contract with the company to supply it with a surveillance tool known as Tangles through 2029, which Texas DPS has used since 2021.4
References
References
- Mullin, Chet (2007-09-25). "Pen-Link employees cash in on growing surveillance business". Kearney Hub. Archived from the original on 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2020-09-11.
- Orbach, Meir (2023-07-11). "Web intelligence startup Cobwebs acquired for $200 million by private equity firm Spire Capital". Calcalist. Archived from the original on 2023-08-03. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- Green, Mitch (2023-07-11). "Cobwebs Technologies Joins PenLink to Expand its Digital Investigative Platform". PenLink. Archived from the original on 2024-06-14. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- D’Annunzio, Francesca (2024-08-26). "Texas State Police Gear Up for Massive Expansion of Surveillance Tech". The Texas Observer. Archived from the original on 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- "Very Soon, ICE Will Know Exactly Where You Are All the Time". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- "Uncovering Webloc: An Analysis of Penlink's Ad-Based Geolocation Surveillance Tech". The Citizen Lab. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
- Paganini, Pierluigi (2026-04-13). "Citizen Lab: Webloc tracked 500M devices for global law enforcement". Security Affairs. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
- Brewster, Thomas (2025-09-18). "ICE Just Spent Millions On Surveillance Tech Banned By Facebook". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2025-10-29. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- Cox, Joseph (2026-01-08). "Inside ICE's Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods". 404 Media. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
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