The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Patel, confirmed that the FBI is purchasing commercial data that can track individuals' historical locations. This is the first time since 2023 that the FBI has publicly confirmed such practices. At a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Patel stated that this information falls under "commercially available data," and its use complies with the Constitution and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and has provided the FBI with "valuable intelligence." This statement once again highlights the controversy surrounding law enforcement agencies bypassing traditional judicial authorization procedures to obtain location data. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled as early as 2018 that the government usually needs a warrant to obtain personal location information from mobile phone carriers. However, data brokers sell such information directly through commercial channels, providing federal agencies with another way to obtain it.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1860060739412043/
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