Federal and local law enforcement agencies have bought mobile phone and other personal records from controversial Internet "data brokers," according to congressional investigators now looking into whether questionable practices were used by the Hewlitt-Packard company.
HP's chairman has resigned, and the California attorney general has opened a criminal investigation in the wake of revelations that the company obtained phone records of board members suspected of leaking information to reporters.
In response to a congressional subpoena, PDJ Services, a data broker in Texas, produced documents showing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Marshals Service had used their services. Another seller, Advanced Research, Inc., included the FBI on its list of clients.
"This is a no-brainer. The government is not allowed to our phone records absent a subpoena or a search warrant," says Rob Douglas, an information security consultant and founder of PrivacyToday.com.
A House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee has been investigating data brokers who sell mobile phone records and other personal information obtained through pre-texting.
Pre-texting is a practice that involves impersonating a customer and deceiving a phone company to obtain phone records.
Not only are they circumventing the law, but they may be using identity thieves to help them do it.
Can we get someone in federal law enforcement who actually gives a shit about the law?
Tags: news politics law privacy technology FBI immigration constitution crime
