Kash Patel admits under oath FBI is buying location data on Americans | FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun purchasing location data on Americans, FBI director Kash Patel said Wednesday as he was sworn in at a Senate worldwide threats hearing.
Patel’s admission came in response to a question from Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon. long time rival From unauthorized surveillance of Americans. Wyden told Patel that his predecessor, Christopher Wray, testified in 2023 that the FBI did not buy location data from internet advertising at the time, but acknowledged that he had done so in the past.
“Is this still the case?” Wyden asked. “And if so, can you commit to it? “Not to buy Americans’ location data this morning?”
“We are purchasing commercially available information that complies with the Constitution and the law under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and this has led to some valuable intelligence for us,” Patel responded.
“So you’re saying the agency is going to buy Americans’ location data,” Wyden said. “I think that’s what you were saying in intelligence language. And as we begin this discussion, I want to say that doing this without a warrant is an ugly fourth amendment implication. It’s especially dangerous given the use of artificial intelligence to sift through vast amounts of private information.”
“This is evidence A for why Congress needs to pass the bipartisan, bicameral bill, the Government Surveillance Reform bill,” Wyden said, referring to legislation he is working on to rein in surveillance.
While law enforcement must obtain a judge-authorized search warrant to obtain location data directly from telecommunications companies, government agencies can instead purchase such information from private data brokers.
Wyden’s questioning of Patel on this issue was as follows: Amplified on social media by House Republican Warren Davidson, along with Democratic representative Zoe Lofgren, has introduced a House bill that mirrors Wyden’s Senate measure.
“This is a clear violation of the fourth amendment, and that’s why I introduced the Government Surveillance Reform bill to close the data broker loophole that allows intelligence agencies to buy Americans’ private data,” Davidson said.
fourth amendment The United States constitution defines “the right of persons to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” and states that “No Warrant shall be issued without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
