Confirmed: US Intelligence agencies are buying personal data, raising privacy concerns

TechCrunch shared a recently declassified government report highlighting how US intelligence and spy agencies are purchasing large amounts of Commercially Available Information (CAI) on American citizens. In simpler terms, CAI refers to information that anyone can buy, and often there are even brokers who facilitate this process. However, this practice raises concerns about privacy and civil rights, prompting the need for better regulations and policies.

For the first time, a government report confirms that US intelligence agencies are increasingly relying on CAI. This includes data from connected vehicles, web browsing activities, and smartphones. The data can be easily purchased from various sources. The report emphasizes the risks associated with the unregulated sharing and selling of Americans' private information. The report was released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI),

The report also shares examples of the so-called data brokers that offer large amounts of data that can be bought, like Thomson Reuters CLEAR, LexisNexis, Exactis, and PeekYou. The data is mainly used for the purposes of the advertising industry, but still, one can never know who is buying the information and for what purpose.

The report highlights the potential impact on privacy and civil liberties due to the widespread availability of commercially available data. The US government lacks a privacy or data protection law governing the sharing and sale of Americans' personal information. Therefore, there is a pressing need for safeguards and oversight mechanisms to protect individuals' privacy rights.

Senator Ron Wyden requested the report's declassification and expressed his concerns about the government's handling of personal data. He points out that existing policies have failed to provide sufficient safeguards for Americans' privacy and lack oversight on how agencies purchase and utilize personal data. Wyden calls for legislation to address these issues and protect individuals' personal information from falling into the wrong hands.

The report cautions that commercially available data, even when sold in large quantities, can be easily used to identify individuals. For instance, location data collected from smartphones, watches, and other devices can reveal where a person lives or works. The data can also be used to identify people who participated in a protest, a rally, or any political gathering and use the information against them. The report highlights the potential misuse of this information, including facilitating blackmail, stalking, harassment, and public shaming.

The declassified report sheds light on the significant role of commercially available data in intelligence gathering by US spy agencies. While this data offers valuable insights, it also poses privacy risks to individuals. To strike a balance, there is a crucial need to implement robust safeguards, oversight mechanisms, and legislation that protect personal information and prevent unauthorized access.