Data Brokers Help Government Spy on Americans, Says GOP Committee Chair

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, said that companies have collected personal data on Americans that the government purchased and then used to spy on and track the activities of U.S. citizens.
Rodgers made the claim during an April 19 subcommittee hearing of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The hearing of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee focused on the activities of data brokers that gather personal information and steps that Congress can take to protect and safeguard the sensitive and private information of Americans.
“Right now, there are no robust protections, and current privacy laws are inadequate, leaving Americans vulnerable,” said Rodgers. “For example, during government-enforced COVID-19 lockdowns, GPS and mobile phone data collected by a data broker was used by the state to spy on Californians exercising their right to attend church services.”…}