There You Are: US Secret Service Spent Millions On Americans' Location Data
There You Are: US Secret Service Spent Millions On Americans' Location Data

Not everyone is aware that random innocuous apps often bundle and anonymize their data to be sold off to the highest bidder.

For example, Babel Street is a shadowy organization offering a product called Locate X, which uses that data to track people.

Now, a newly released document shows the US Secret Service has spent nearly $2 million on buying such data from Babel Street, rendering warrants unnecessary.

Based on Fourth Amendment protections, law enforcement typically has to get a warrant or court order to seek to obtain Americans’ location data.

According to Gizmodo, the Secret Service had used the Locate X system in the course of investing a large credit card skimming operation.

In the past, the Secret Service has reportedly used a separate social media surveillance product from Babel Street.

The newly-released document totals fees paid after the addition of the Locate X license as $1,999,394.