The FBI is buying Americans’ location data

The Verge / 3/19/2026

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Key Points

The FBI director Kash Patel acknowledged the agency buys commercially available location data to track people’s movements without warrants.
The data are accessed without a warrant and are not the same as information from cell providers, raising privacy and legal concerns.
Patel said the purchases are consistent with the Constitution and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and have yielded valuable intelligence, but he did not commit to stopping the practice when pressed by senators.
A Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on March 18, 2026, featured questions about oversight and the agency’s continued use of location data.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 18: Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats in the Hart Senate Office Building on March 18, 2026 in Washington, DC. A closed session immediately followed the hearing. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images

FBI director Kash Patel admitted that the agency is buying location data that can be used to track people's movements. Unlike information obtained from cell phone providers, this data can be accessed without a warrant - and used to track anyone.

"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," Patel said at a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

Patel would not commit to senators' requests that the agency stop buying Americans' location data. "Doing that wi …

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