NSA Purchases Americans' Internet Browsing Data Without Warrants, Senator's Documents Show
Sen. Ron Wyden released documents showing the NSA buys Americans' data, including information about the websites they visit and the apps they use, without a warrant
NSA Accused of Buying Americans' Internet Browsing Data Without Warrants
The National Security Agency has been accused of buying Americans' internet browsing information from commercial data brokers without warrants, according to documents released by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
In a letter to Wyden, NSA director Paul Nakasone provided newly unclassified documents revealing that the agency buys Americans' data, including information about the websites they visit and the apps they use. The letter, dated Dec. 11, was made public on Thursday.
Wyden, a privacy and internet freedom advocate who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on U.S. intelligence officials to end unlawful use of Americans' personal data without their knowledge and consent.
Senator Pushes for Transparency and Accountability
Sen. Ron Wyden has been pushing for nearly three years to publicly release information showing that the NSA is purchasing Americans' internet records. He recently blocked the appointment of incoming NSA Director Timothy Haugh until the agency responded to his questions about collecting Americans' internet and location data.
"Such records can identify Americans who are seeking help from a suicide hotline or a hotline for survivors of sexual assault or domestic abuse," he wrote in his letter to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
Wyden requested in his letter to Haines that the U.S. intelligence community build an inventory of all the personal data of Americans that the NSA has, and purge any of the data that does not comply with the FTC's standards.
Controversy Surrounding Data Broker Industry
The NSA's purchase of Americans' internet browsing information from commercial data brokers without warrants violates U.S. Federal Trade Commission standards. The FTC recently prohibited a data broker from selling sensitive location data that helps track a person's location.
Sen. Wyden pointed out that the industry thrived in a legal gray area due to the secrecy surrounding the practice. Users were not informed by app developers and advertising companies about the sale and sharing of their personal data, nor were they given the opportunity to provide informed consent.
Wyden emphasized the importance of transparency and accountability, asserting that any specific need to retain the data should be conveyed to Congress and the American public.
