The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies have purchased Americans’ private data, in what could be considered a run around constitutional protections against warrantless searches.
The FBI admitted in March that the agency purchased geolocation data from Americans’ mobile-phone advertising, although the agency said it has moved past that practice after facing legal issues and controversy.

Rep. Ben Cline (R‑VA). (GREG NASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Other government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have bought access to American geolocation data.
During a House Appropriations Committee hearing in March, Rep. Ben Cline (R‑VA) pressed Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz over the FBI’s purchase of Americans’ geolocation data.
Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz. (Graeme Jennings/Pool via AP)
Cline asked Horowitz if other parts of the …