The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has admitted to buying internet browsing records from data brokers to identify the websites and apps Americans use that would otherwise require a court order, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden said last week.
“The U.S. government should not be funding and legitimizing a shady industry whose flagrant violations of Americans’ privacy are not just unethical, but illegal,” Wyden said in a letter to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Avril Haines, in addition to taking steps to “ensure that U.S. intelligence agencies only purchase data on Americans that has been obtained in a lawful manner.”
Metadata about users’ browsing habits can pose a serious privacy risk, as the information could be used to glean personal details about an individual based on the websites they frequent.
This could include websites that offer resources related to mental health, assistance for survivors of sexual assault or domestic abuse, and telehealth providers who focus on birth control or abortion medication.
In response to Wyden’s queries, the NSA said it has developed compliance regimes and that it “takes steps to minimize the collection of U.S. person information” and “continues to acquire only the most useful data relevant to mission requirements.”
The agency, however, said it does not buy and use location data collected from phones used in the U.S. without a court order. It also said it does not use location information obtained from automobile telematics systems from vehicles located in the country.
Ronald S. Moultrie, under secretary of defense for intelligence and security (USDI&S), said Departments of Defense (DoD) components acquire and use commercially available information (CAI) in a manner that “adheres to high standards of privacy and civil liberties protections” in support of lawful intelligence or cybersecurity missions.