A recently declassified report has shed light on the extensive use of commercially available data by U.S. intelligence and spy agencies.
The report, released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), confirms that government agencies purchase vast amounts of information on Americans, raising significant concerns about privacy and civil liberties.
How the Government Uses Commercially Available Data
TechCrunch explains that the declassified report exposes the U.S. intelligence community's reliance on commercially available information (CAI), which encompasses data generated by internet-connected devices and made accessible by data brokers.
Such data include granular location data collected by connected vehicles, web browsing data, and smartphone information. The report highlights that the data purchased by the government holds intelligence value but also underscores the potential privacy and civil liberties issues.
Previously undisclosed, this report serves as the first public acknowledgment by the U.S. government of the risks associated with the widespread availability of Americans' commercially available data.
In the absence of privacy or data protection laws governing the sharing and selling of personal information, the report raises concerns about unauthorized access to sensitive data by adversaries and hostile nations.
The report also highlights the ease with which commercially available data can be deanonymized to identify individuals, exposing their daily movements and associations.
Analyzing location data from phones and vehicles makes it possible to infer individuals' places of residence, workplaces, and even participation in political and religious activities, just like how the IRS used similar data for hunting down violators.
The potential for misuse of this data is significant, enabling activities such as blackmail, stalking, harassment, and public shaming.
America's Problem with Data Privacy
The ODNI report sheds light on the broader issue of data privacy in the United States.
It reveals that the government's existing policies have failed to establish necessary safeguards for Americans' privacy or adequate oversight regarding government agencies' purchase and use of personal data.
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Senator Ron Wyden, who requested the report's disclosure, expressed concern over the lack of transparency surrounding federal intelligence agencies' acquisition of Americans' personal data.
Furthermore, the report underlines the lack of clarity regarding which federal intelligence agencies are purchasing personal data.
The Issue At Hand
The declassified report not only exposes the extent of U.S. intelligence agencies' reliance on commercially available data but also highlights the urgent need for action to protect Americans' privacy and civil liberties.
Senator Wyden has called upon Congress to enact legislation that imposes necessary guardrails on government data purchases, regulates private companies involved in data collection and sale, and prevents personal information from falling into the hands of adversaries.
While historically, publicly available information was treated as non-sensitive, the report argues that changes in CAI necessitate a reevaluation of this categorization.
With the lack of comprehensive privacy laws in the United States, there is a pressing need for updated regulations addressing the risks and implications of acquiring and using personal data.
In similar news, the State Department allowed law enforcement and intelligence agencies to freely access the personal data of 145 million Americans from passport applications without legal process or oversight-Sen. Wyden's letter to Sec. Blinken, obtained by Yahoo News in November, reveals this.
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