FBI Director Kash Patel admitted under oath at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday that the agency purchases data, which can be used to track Americans.
The acknowledgement came after a question from Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon. Wyden noted that in 2023, former FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that, to his knowledge, the FBI did not purchase commercial data that included location information from internet advertising at that time.
“Is that the case still, and if so, can you commit this morning to not buying Americans’ location data?” Wyden asked Patel.
Patel responded that the FBI uses “all tools to do our mission.” He added: “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 to be utilized with our private and partner sectors.”
After Patel’s admission on Wednesday, Wyden
...Keep reading this article on CNET.
