US lawmakers are investigating a company that sells people's phone location data to the FBI
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has opened an investigation into a data firm that sells people's smartphone location data to government agencies.
The company, Venntel, is facing scrutiny for the Democratic-led committee for its business of buying location data from various smartphone apps and selling that data to agencies including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. DHS used location data from Venntel to track down people who crossed the border into the US illegally, the Wall Street Journal reported in February.
More recently, the FBI updated its contract with Venntel in May, The Intercept reported Wednesday, although the terms of that contract have not been made public.
https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-investigate-company-selling-phone-location-data-to-the-fbi-2020-6
#fbi #dhs #privacy
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform has opened an investigation into a data firm that sells people's smartphone location data to government agencies.
The company, Venntel, is facing scrutiny for the Democratic-led committee for its business of buying location data from various smartphone apps and selling that data to agencies including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. DHS used location data from Venntel to track down people who crossed the border into the US illegally, the Wall Street Journal reported in February.
More recently, the FBI updated its contract with Venntel in May, The Intercept reported Wednesday, although the terms of that contract have not been made public.
https://www.businessinsider.com/lawmakers-investigate-company-selling-phone-location-data-to-the-fbi-2020-6
#fbi #dhs #privacy