A declassified report confirms for the first time that the US government purchases Americans’ personal information from third-party data brokers. Here’s what you need to know about it.
A recently declassified government report confirms for the first time that the US intelligence community purchases commercially available information on Americans. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the report detailing how the US government buys and uses personal data and how foreign adversaries could wind up with that data as well.
The report goes on to outline the current legal framework for privacy laws in the US and details how the widespread availability of user data could allow the government to violate Americans’ civil liberties.
Unlike the EU, the US does not have data protection laws to govern the sharing or selling of Americans’ personal data, making data acquisition a lucrative industry. Federal laws do apply to specific data like medical (HIPPA), student records (FERPA), consumer credit (FCRA), VHS rentals (VPPA), among others. But no US laws give Americans the right to access, delete, or control the movements of their personal information, which could create privacy and national security risks. User data is collected via smartphone apps, websites, and vehicles that accumulate large amounts of location data.
Because smartphones and internet use are highly ingrained into everyday life, it’s almost impossible to stop your electronic devices from constantly releasing your personal information. The lack of privacy laws allows companies and the government to have full reign over user data, which is why this report was declassified, per US Senator Ron Wyden’s request.
What is commercially available information?
In the ODNI’s report, commercially available information (CAI) is defined as “information that is available commercially to the general public, and as such, is a subset of publicly available information.” This information can include your location, credit history, insurance claims, criminal records, employment history, income ethnicity, purchase history, and personal interests.
