Kash Patel admits under oath FBI is buying location data on Americans
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The Bottom Line
FBI Director Kash Patel admitted under oath the FBI is buying Americans' location data without warrants.
How This Affects You
Your location data may be tracked and purchased by the FBI without a warrant, potentially revealing your movements, home, workplace, and associations.
AI Summary
FBI Director Kash Patel acknowledged under oath at a Senate intelligence committee hearing on Wednesday that the bureau is purchasing location data on Americans. Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and vocal opponent of warrantless surveillance, posed the question during the worldwide threats hearing, noting that Patel's predecessor Christopher Wray testified in 2023 that the FBI was not buying such data at that time, though Wray acknowledged the agency had purchased it previously. The admission reveals the FBI has resumed or expanded a practice that raises privacy concerns among surveillance critics, particularly regarding the agency's access to Americans' location information without traditional warrant procedures. Wyden has long challenged warrantless surveillance programs, and the disclosure that the FBI continues buying commercially available location data underscores ongoing tension between national security operations and privacy protections.
What's Being Done
Senator Ron Wyden questioned Patel about the practice at a Senate intelligence committee hearing, contrasting it with former FBI Director Christopher Wray's 2023 testimony that the agency was not buying such data.
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