Story
Government agencies buy commercial data about Americans in bulk
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Overview
Data brokers collect and sell vast amounts of electronic information from apps and web browsers to advertisers and government agencies. This practice allows law enforcement to access personal data, including bulk cell phone location information, without requiring a warrant.
Summary from npr.org.
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Hacker News · npr.org
Hacker News discussion ↗
Historical count: 5 · 5 saved in sample · Historical sample
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Based on 5 sampled comments from this thread. Analyzed 2026-03-26.
- Concern: The ability to assemble comprehensive profiles from commercial data poses significant privacy risks, enabling governments to track individuals effortlessly at a massive scale.
- Concern: The collection and assembly of personal data by government agencies is inherently dangerous, as it can be used against individuals without their consent.
- Concern: The potential for creating detailed movement profiles from bulk data raises serious ethical concerns about surveillance and individual privacy.