The Department of Homeland Security in America has decided to discontinue the practice of purchasing data that reveals the movement of phones. This controversial practice has allowed them to track hundreds of millions of people without warrants for years. Various agencies within the department have been accessing commercially available data since 2018, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This data can be purchased and searched without any judicial oversight.
It is reported that the Department of Homeland Security will not continue buying access to this data and will not allocate any additional funding for it. This decision came after a 2023 DHS watchdog report recommended better privacy controls and policies. Former CIA official Michael Morell mentioned in a podcast that commercially available phone data is incredibly revealing and sensitive, to the point where it would typically be classified as top secret.
Following a bipartisan outcry from lawmakers and civil society groups regarding warrantless tracking, the DHS’ internal watchdog launched an investigation. At the same time, U.S. spy agencies are working to maintain their capability to access this data. Lawmakers led by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Republican Rep. Warren Davidson are aiming to ban government agencies from purchasing data on American citizens.
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