The FBI has confirmed that it buys commercially available data that can track people’s movement and location history, raising fresh concerns about privacy and surveillance practices in the United States. The disclosure came during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where officials discussed how agencies gather intelligence without directly requesting data from telecom providers.
FBI Director Kash Patel told lawmakers that the agency relies on legally available data sources and uses them within existing laws. He said, “We do purchase commercially available information that’s consistent with the Constitution and the laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and it has led to some valuable intelligence for us.”
According to the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, this marks the first time since 2023 that the FBI has openly confirmed it is actively buying such data, even though the Supreme Court requires a warrant to access location data from service providers.
Several lawmakers criticized the practice and called for stricter rules. Senator Ron Wyden said, “Doing that without a warrant is an outrageous end run around the Fourth Amendment, it’s particularly dangerous given the use of artificial intelligence to comb through massive amounts of private information.”
Lawmakers have introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act, which would require agencies to obtain a warrant before buying personal data. At the same time, some officials defended the practice, arguing that commercially available data helps law enforcement track serious threats and protect public safety.
