this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2026
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302
FBI admits buying Americans' location data and says it won't stop (www.techspot.com)
submitted 4 days ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] perishthethought@piefed.social 52 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Anyone else remember a few years ago when the government was caught performing warrantless searches on America's phone data and metadata, using direct wiretaps at the phone companies, and it was a huge deal and the whistleblower had to flea the country or face imprisonment? And we all said at that time that the government's actions were shocking and they had to stop right away, and at first they said they would, but then they never really did?

Yeah, me neither.

RIP, the Constitution. We'll miss you.

[–] forrgott@lemmy.zip 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Eh, if the constitution was half as great as people think, we wouldn't have the problems we do now.

And don't forget, without the flaws of the constitution, us couldn't have give full fascist so early and quickly.

Fuck the constitution, we need something better.

[–] Landless2029@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

I believe the original intent of the constitution was to review/update it every 20 years but they got lazy.

They knew it wouldn't stand the test of time.

[–] hash@slrpnk.net 39 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Who wants to start a nonprofit that buys and distributes FBI worker's location data?

[–] ClanOfTheOcho@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

John Oliver threatened something like that once (but for politicians). Not sure what happened after that, though I have occasionally wondered.

[–] Ulrich@feddit.org 4 points 4 days ago

Better yet, politicians

[–] Formfiller@lemmy.world 18 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why do we need these government agencies that murder civil rights leaders and help Mossad traffic children again?

[–] pdxfed@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

Because someone has to coordinate to let Saudi royal families safely exit nationally closed airspace after 9/11 when 15/19 plane hijackers were from Saudi Arabia!

Can you imagine what might have happened to them if not? Luckily we then started having those same agencies spew stories about WMD that didn't exist in Iraq so we could fight a proxy war in Iraq.

The US is China's bitch, Israel's bitch, Saudi Arabia's bitch...

[–] org@lemmy.org 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Some of you give that info away to companies so easily, of course they sell it.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Thats why I spoof my location. Nobody knows where I am. I'm actually on the moon.

[–] tonyn@lemmy.ml 3 points 4 days ago

You can't spoof what cell tower you're connected to.

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Do you also always use a VPN? Your IP gives you away.

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Maybe they do. Would that be so surprising?

I blanket my whole network in a VPN, it rotates between servers every so often, and via NetBird which I self-host, all my devices access the internet via my home network, even when I’m not at home.

It’s not hard to set up.

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago

That’s why I asked. Maybe they don’t.

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I don't think that's true for mobile IPs since they are shared.

[–] org@lemmy.org 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Every layer of abstraction is important.

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago (2 children)

No, those are not "layer of abstraction" and they do not have equal importances, claiming otherwise is counter-productive. Each data does not reveal the same quantity of information and their hierarchy depends on your threat model.

[–] green_goglin@thelemmy.club 1 points 4 days ago

found the fed /s

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You’re welcome to have that opinion.

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You're dodging the issue. Why would an IP that's shared and does not give precise location be as important as precise GPS location?

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I did not say it was as precise. Those are words that you used. I’m saying that any layer protecting you is good. Your mobile service provider keeps a log of every device the connects into which IP it connects to. Let’s say there are 1000 people using it same IP. Now they have reduced that list from millions to 1000. If you use a VPN that does not log, all they see is the VPN address.

I don’t actually have an interest in convincing you, because if you want to assume your mobile service provider is safe enough… That’s your own opinion.

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I'm not saying you said it was precise. I'm just saying that not every layer is important, or even good.

What if there are less people using that VPN IP than using that ISP IP, now your are giving more information with a VPN than without. How do you verify the claim that a VPN does not log? Spoiler, you can't verify, it's just trust. You have to chose who you trust enough to give them access to the website you visit.

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I’m sorry but I disagree. I encourage you to continue with your methods of security.

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This is not about me but about the advice you give to people. If you give advices you need to back them up, you can't just answer "I disagree" to contradiction.

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You’re wrong. And I hope anyone reading your advice takes the time to go do actual research. Goodbye

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Lol, "do your own research".

[–] org@lemmy.org 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yes, instead of trusting your opinion that simply having a cell phone is enough to fool the government.

[–] ivn@tarte.nuage-libre.fr 1 points 4 days ago

That's not my claim.

[–] WanderWisley@lemmy.world 11 points 4 days ago (1 children)

How to become wealthy in America: Drop out of school. Move to San Francisco. Develop an app that takes pictures of people buttholes on the toilet. Sell those pictures to the pentagon and claim it’s for monitoring terrorism. Fire everyone at your business. Sell business to a data collection company based in china. Move to Texas and start a podcast complaining about how LGBTQ rights have lead to the rise in gas prices.

[–] content_educator_94@thelemmy.club 3 points 4 days ago

I would watch this movie without a shred of irony

Please flesh this out into a dry satire

[–] JensSpahnpasta@feddit.org 8 points 4 days ago

That also means that all those apps which are embedding those location trackers are illegal in Europe and other countries. There is no way for someone to give his informed consent to sell his location data to the fucking FBI just by clicking a button.

[–] AlecSadler@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why can't Kash have an accident already

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 10 points 4 days ago

He's too alert; he always sees it coming.

[–] inari@piefed.zip 7 points 4 days ago

Rookies. I bet the NSA is getting it for free. 

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 5 points 4 days ago

We can make great use of this, to hunt certain malicious individuals.

Perfect.

[–] etchinghillside@reddthat.com 4 points 4 days ago

Sign me up - where do I sell local Bluetooth device identifiers to?

[–] Charlxmagne@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)