Daily Tech Headlines FBI Resumes Purchasing Americans' Location Data, Sidestepping Warrants - DTH
Mar 19, 2026
Coverage of the FBI purchasing Americans' location data without warrants and the controversy it sparks. Google's deals with utilities to throttle data center power during peak demand for AI. A Meta AI agent mistakenly advised steps that could grant inappropriate access. Launch of Perplexity's Comet AI browser on iOS with agentic features.
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FBI Buys Location Data To Sidestep Warrants
- The FBI restarted buying Americans' location and data from brokers to support investigations, letting it avoid search warrants.
- Director Cash Patel confirmed the practice amid bipartisan outrage and a proposed Government Surveillance Reform Act requiring warrants.
Bipartisan Push To Require Warrants For Purchased Data
- Lawmakers call the FBI's use of commercially available location data an end run around the Fourth Amendment.
- A bipartisan bill would force federal agencies to get court-authorized warrants before buying such data.
Google Agrees To Curtail Data Center Power During Peaks
- Google signed demand-response agreements with seven utilities to cut up to one gigawatt of data center electricity during peak demand.
- The deals help PowerForge expansion by curbing use on very hot or cold days to avoid rolling blackouts.