FBI is buying location data to track US citizens, director confirms

4 hours ago

FBI resumes purchasing Americans' data and location histories for federal investigations.
Data is sourced from brokers who collect information from consumer phone apps and games.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirms purchases are consistent with the Constitution and Electronic Communications Privacy Act.
Senator Ron Wyden criticizes the practice as a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Government agencies bypass warrant requirements by purchasing commercially available data.
Example given of U.S. Customs and Border Protection purchasing data from real-time bidding services.
FBI claims no warrant is needed for using this data in investigations, though untested in court.
Lawmakers introduce the Government Surveillance Reform Act to require warrants for data purchases.

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