Bypassing warrants and subpoenas, numerous federal and local law-enforcement agencies have turned to private-sector data brokers to obtain Americans' personal telephone records.
Brokers advertise aggressively on the Internet. Some admit to using unsavory, sometimes illegal tactics to obtain information -- including breaking into customer accounts online and tricking phone companies into revealing private customer information, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Among the documents gathered by congressional investigators:
Data Bought by U.S. Government: A GAO report found that the federal government spent $30 million last year on personal data bought from private brokers.
Homeland Security Requests: An immigration official with the Department of Homeland Security sought subscriber information for a cell-phone number.
Local Law-Enforcement Requests: A Redwood City, Calif. law-enforcement officer used a data broker to request similar information for a cell-phone number.
Tracking an NBA Player: A private investigator used a data broker to obtain information on calls made by NBA player Damon Jones.
Reporting on JonBenet: A tabloid newspaper used a data broker to obtain information on credit-card charges made by John Ramsey, father of child murder victim JonBenet Ramsey.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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