FBI started buying Americans' location data again, Kash Patel confirms
The FBI has confirmed to the Senate that it is once again purchasing location data that can track U.S. citizens' movements. This practice resumed under the confirmation of Kash Patel, despite previous concerns about constitutional protections. The agency indicates it has no plans to discontinue this data acquisition program.
This practice violates the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and circumvents the warrant requirements established in Carpenter v. United States. Purchasing commercially available location data allows law enforcement to bypass constitutional protections that would normally require judicial oversight.
This is a legitimate investigative tool that uses publicly available commercial data, similar to other accepted practices like searching through discarded trash. The data helps solve serious crimes and protect national security while operating within legal boundaries since it's purchased rather than directly collected.