FBI is buying location data to track US citizens, director confirms (techcrunch.com)

Article summary

The FBI has confirmed it is buying location data to track US citizens, with the agency's director stating that it uses all tools available to fulfill its mission. This practice involves purchasing data from brokers who collect information from consumer phone apps and games. The FBI claims it does not need a warrant to use this information for federal investigations, but lawmakers have introduced a bill to require a court-authorized warrant before federal agencies can buy Americans' information from data brokers. The practice has raised concerns about mass surveillance and the potential for abuse of power.

Main themes

• Mass surveillance
• Location data tracking
• FBI investigations
• Data brokers
• Privacy concerns
• Government power

What commenters say

• The FBI's purchase of location data is a violation of the Fourth Amendment and an end-run around the warrant process.
• Private organizations participate in the tracking ecosystem because it is profitable, and they prioritize making money over individual privacy.
• The practice of buying location data is not new, and the FBI has been keeping dossiers on people of interest since its founding, but the ease of access to data has increased concerns.
• Some argue that the ends justify the means, and that buying location data can help prevent crimes such as terror attacks, while others see it as a slippery slope towards totalitarianism.
• The use of third-party data brokers allows the FBI to bypass the need for a warrant, but this loophole is seen as a threat to individual privacy and liberty.
• The issue is not just about the FBI, but about the broader culture of surveillance and the willingness of private companies to sell personal data to the highest bidder.
• Some commenters argue that the practice is not necessarily a violation of the Constitution, as the data is already publicly available or has been voluntarily shared with third parties.
• Others see the practice as a form of 'parallel construction', where the FBI uses purchased data to build cases, but then hides the origin of the data to avoid scrutiny.