The Pentagon Tried to Hide That It Bought Americans’ Data Without a Warrant::US spy agencies purchased Americans’ phone location data and internet metadata without a warrant but only admitted it after a US senator blocked the appointment of a new NSA director.

  • zoostation@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Anyone can buy this data. It’s just a regular product. What would a warrant have to do with anything.

    • echutaa@programming.dev
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      11 months ago

      Warrants are important checks on an otherwise unchecked behemoth that could easily make most people disappear in one way or another.

      • NightAuthor@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        As much as I hate it, I was under the impression that US government agencies routinely purchased user data from brokers because it was a workaround for warrant requirements to acquire the data themselves.

        • kent_eh
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          11 months ago

          Yeah, the real problem is that the data was made available for sale.

        • motorwerks@sopuli.xyz
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          11 months ago

          Ah yes, the 'I singlehandedly thought it was the expected result" explanation. If true, still not helpful.

  • cbarrick@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    If personal data is for sale, the NSA should buy it. Like, it’s negligent not to, because they need to know what exactly is being sold in these markets. It’s not about spying on the people in the data, it’s about knowing the market and who has access to what.

    The problem isn’t that it was bought, it’s that it was sold.

    We need to dismantle the data brokerage industry.

    • kent_eh
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      11 months ago

      The problem isn’t that it was bought, it’s that it was sold.

      Exactly.

      That data shouldn’t be for sale to anyone.

  • umbrella@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    am i the only crazie in here who remembers this headline from years ago? isnt that already well known?