{"id":475787,"date":"2022-07-19T16:04:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T13:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/"},"modified":"2022-07-19T16:04:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T13:04:00","slug":"homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/","title":{"rendered":"#Homeland Security is tracking US citizens using phone location data"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a26bb4dd3c57\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a26bb4dd3c57\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/#%E2%80%9CHomeland_Security_is_tracking_US_citizens_using_phone_location_data%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Homeland Security is tracking US citizens using phone location data&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/#Does_your_fintech_have_global_ambitions\" >Does your fintech have global ambitions?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/#The_companies_providing_the_DHS_with_location_data\" >The companies providing the DHS with location data<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/#How_the_data_is_being_used\" >How the data is being used<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/#Downplaying_location_data_usage_for_tracking_purposes\" >Downplaying location data usage for tracking purposes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-using-phone-location-data\/#The_imperative_for_federal_privacy_laws\" >The imperative for federal privacy laws<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CHomeland_Security_is_tracking_US_citizens_using_phone_location_data%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Homeland Security is tracking US citizens using phone location data&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image?fit=796%2C417&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2022%2F07%2FUntitled-design-92-13.jpg&amp;signature=69a54f1548c46e08e55a4663a2a6d3fe\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/\">American Civil Liberties Union<\/a> (ACLU) has published thousands of pages of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/cases\/aclu-v-department-homeland-security-commercial-location-data-foia#DOcuments_produced_by_Customs_&amp;_Border_Protection_(CBP):~:text=District%20Court%20(S.D.N.Y.)%20FOIA%20litigation%20documents\">previously unreleased documents<\/a>, which reveal how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is buying access to the location data of millions of US citizens\u2019\u00a0cell phones.<\/p>\n<p>The warrantless purchase by various parts of the DHS \u2014 including Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) \u2014 was first reported by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/federal-agencies-use-cellphone-location-data-for-immigration-enforcement-11581078600\">The Wall Street Journal<\/a> in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>, ACLU filed a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/foia-document\/foia-request-dhs-cbp-ice-cell-phone-location-data\">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request<\/a> to DHS, ICE, and CBP, followed by a respective <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/news\/immigrants-rights\/the-u-s-government-is-secretly-using-cell-phone-location-data-to-track-us-were-suing\">lawsuit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\">\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_your_fintech_have_global_ambitions\"><\/span>Does your fintech have global ambitions?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Before you consider expansion, check out our handy checklist<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While the litigation is still ongoing, the union decided to make public the records that CBP, ICE, the US Secret Service, the US Coast Guard, and several offices within DHS Headquarters have provided to date.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_companies_providing_the_DHS_with_location_data\"><\/span>The companies providing the DHS with location data<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The records show that DHS has used <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/production_5_reprocessed_jan._22_0.pdf#page=1\">millions of taxpayer dollars<\/a> to buy access to cell phone location information from two data brokers: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.venntel.com\/\">Venntel<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.babelstreet.com\/\">Babel Street<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the documents theACLU received, Venntel collects <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/1._2021-icli-00013_may_2021_release_redacted.pdf#page=158\">more than 15 billion location points<\/a> from over 250 million cell phones and other mobile devices <em>every<\/em> <em>day<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_the_data_is_being_used\"><\/span>How the data is being used<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As per <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/production_3_reprocessed_jan._22.pdf#page=25\">the company\u2019s marketing brochure<\/a>, law enforcement can use this data to \u201cidentify devices observed at places of interest, repeat visitors, frequented locations, pinpoint known associates\u201d and \u201cdiscover patterns of life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A 2018 <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/dhs_hq_21_09_records.pdf#page=17\">DHS internal document<\/a> also raised concerns over the privacy of people living near the US borders. It proposed using Venntel\u2019s location data to \u201cidentify patterns of illegal immigration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And another <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/dhs_hq_21_09_records.pdf#page=40\">request<\/a> to the DHS from a local police department in Cincinnati asked for location data analytics related to opioid overdoses in its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<p>Alarmingly, both proposals are based on the premise that law enforcement can indiscriminately hoover up sensitive information on people simply going about their daily lives.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Downplaying_location_data_usage_for_tracking_purposes\"><\/span>Downplaying location data usage for tracking purposes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the face of the obvious privacy implications, the data brokers have sought to downplay their actions.<\/p>\n<p>First off, the documents characterize phone location data as a mere \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/production_1_reprocessed_jan._22.pdf#page=66\">digital exhaust<\/a>,\u201d which doesn\u2019t contain personally identifying information (PII), but is attached to a numerical identifier.<\/p>\n<p>This masks the fact that phone numbers are connected to identity information \u2014 not to mention how much data is shared just by signing into Google.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, the data brokers assert that phone users themselves <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/1._2021-icli-00013_may_2021_release_redacted.pdf#page=205\">voluntarily<\/a> disclose their location when they consent to GPS data permissions.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the perfect gray area data agencies and government bodies can exploit.<\/p>\n<p>Users aren\u2019t always aware of how many <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>s on their phone collect GPS information, or (reasonably) don\u2019t expect that data to be sold to governments for surveillance.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the agencies\u2019 purpose is so explicit that even DHS employees <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aclu.org\/sites\/default\/files\/field_document\/sci._tech._directorate_21_11_records.pdf#page=59\">voiced privacy concerns<\/a> over purchasing software from Venntel and Babel Street.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_imperative_for_federal_privacy_laws\"><\/span>The imperative for federal privacy laws<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The government\u2019s warrantless search and usage of personal location data is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, the ACLU is urging the Congress to pass the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wyden.senate.gov\/news\/press-releases\/wyden-paul-and-bipartisan-members-of-congress-introduce-the-fourth-amendment-is-not-for-sale-act-\">Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act<\/a> \u2014 a bipartisan proposal put forward last year and cosigned by nearly 20 Democrats and Republicans in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>The bill would require the US government to get a warrant before obtaining data from companies like Venntel and Babel Street.<\/p>\n<p><span>It also would prevent law enforcement and intelligence agencies from purchasing US citizens\u2019 cell phone data both in the country and abroad<\/span> \u201cif the data was obtained from a user\u2019s account or device, or via deception, hacking, violations of a contract, privacy policy, or terms of service.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s hope that it can help hasten the end to mass-surveillance once and for all \u2014 but we\u2019re not holding our breath.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/homeland-security-is-tracking-us-citizens-with-phone-location-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Homeland Security is tracking US citizens using phone location data&#8221; The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has published thousands of pages of previously unreleased documents, which reveal how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is buying access to the location data of millions of US citizens\u2019\u00a0cell phones. The warrantless purchase by various parts of the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":475788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Untitled-design-92-13.jpg&signature=8f33a75ddded462165cc4e168b74dc6c","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-475787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475787"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475787\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}