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Secret Service bought location data pulled from common apps:
The Secret Service paid a private company for access to location data generated by common smartphone apps, Motherboard reports. Internal documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request show that the agency spent $35,844 for a one-year subscription to Babel Street's product Locate X, which tracks the location of devices via data harvested from popular apps.
As Motherboard notes, the glaring issue with this contract is that it allows the law enforcement agency to buy information that it would normally need a warrant or a court order to obtain.
[...] In March, Protocol reported that US Customs and Border Protection purchased Locate X, and a former Babel Street employee told Protocol that the Secret Service and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were using the location-tracking tech. But Motherboard has the first confirmation that the Secret Service did in fact purchase Locate X.
[...] Senator Ron Wyden is reportedly planning legislation to block law enforcement from purchasing products like Locate X.
"It is clear that multiple federal agencies have turned to purchasing Americans' data to buy their way around Americans' Fourth Amendment Rights. I'm drafting legislation to close this loophole, and ensure the Fourth Amendment isn't for sale," Wyden said in a statement provided to Motherboard.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 18 2020, @03:53PM (6 children)
Really?
The government isn't even jailing terrorists caught on video with multiple witnesses committing arson against a federal courthouse with people INSIDE.
And you're worried about the govt tracking if you watch porn? The country won't even do anything to you for attempted murder.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Tork on Tuesday August 18 2020, @05:08PM (1 child)
Unless you embarrass the president, then your livelihood gets taken away.
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 19 2020, @03:58AM
And if it's worse in Saudi Arabia, or anywhere in fact, just keep telling yourself how lucky you are.
USA! USA! USA!
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday August 18 2020, @10:42PM (2 children)
Yet. That we know of.
The government is watching, collecting data, and the government will use all of that data as it sees fit, when it sees fit. Depending on who is running the government, YOU might be deemed a terrorist. Or me. Or Fustakrakich, or Aristarchus, or whoever.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 19 2020, @09:50PM (1 child)
Yeah, sure, the government is watching and recording you all the time. That's why they need to purchase this information from outside vendors.
Do you even THINK about the stuff you write, or does it just flow naturally out your fingertips without going through the brain first?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday August 19 2020, @11:30PM
The cameras mounted inside of the Federal building, which were used to identify rioters in Portland? That video wasn't purchased. Do YOU think about the shit you write?
(Score: 3, Informative) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday August 18 2020, @11:13PM
They might if that weren't a fantasy though.
What the government has done however was to kidnap people off the street, old them without charge then release them without explanation.