The FBI is once again buying location data on Americans, confirming a surveillance method that had largely faded from public view. During a Senate hearing this week, Director Kash Patel said the agency is purchasing data sold on the open market that can reveal where people go and how they move.
This is the first clear acknowledgment since 2023, when the FBI said it had stepped away from the practice. That position has now changed, and the shift raises fresh questions about how investigators access sensitive digital trails.
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The difference comes down to source. Instead of requesting records from phone carriers, which usually requires a warrant, the FBI is turning to data brokers that collect location history from apps and connected devices.
That gap in how the data is obtained creates a real opening. Investigators can access detailed tracking information under looser rules, even as
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