FBI Confirms Buying Location Data From Data Brokers For Investigations
FBI director says agency buys Americans’ location data without warrants to aid investigations, reigniting privacy debate.
Washington: The FBI buys location data from companies that collect information from phone apps and games. FBI Director Kash Patel told Congress the agency uses this data to help with federal investigations.
Patel said the FBI buys “commercially available information” that follows the Constitution and laws. He said this data has given the FBI helpful intelligence. The FBI says it does not need permission to use this information.
Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, asked if Patel would promise not to buy Americans’ location data. Patel answered that the FBI uses “all tools” for its work. Wyden called buying data without a warrant an “outrageous end-run around the Fourth Amendment.”
The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from having their devices or data searched without proper legal reasons. Government agencies normally need to get permission from a judge before asking tech companies for private information about someone.
Companies that help with mobile and web advertising collect location information. These companies gather data when people use apps or see ads. Some agencies have bought this data to avoid the legal process of getting a warrant.
Customs and Border Protection bought data from real-time bidding services. These services track where people are and who they are. Surveillance companies can collect this information and sell it to brokers or government agencies.
When asked for details, an FBI spokesperson did not explain how often the agency gets location data or which data brokers they use. Last week, several lawmakers introduced a new bill that would require a court order before federal agencies can buy Americans’ information from data brokers.