Overview
- Director Kash Patel told the Senate Intelligence Committee the bureau purchases “commercially available information” that has produced valuable intelligence and would not commit to stopping the practice.
- This marks the first on-the-record confirmation of active purchases since 2023, when then‑director Christopher Wray said the FBI was not buying such data.
- Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Lee introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act to require warrants before federal agencies buy Americans’ personal information from data brokers.
- Committee chair Tom Cotton defended buying commercially available data as lawful and useful for catching dangerous criminals, while privacy advocates warned it amounts to a Fourth Amendment end run, especially when paired with AI.
- Defense Intelligence Agency Director James Adams said the DIA also purchases such data, and reporters noted the FBI declined to detail how often it buys location information or which brokers it uses.