FEDERAL · COMMERCIAL LOCATION DATA · CONSENT

The Secret Service relied on claims that consumers consented to location-data collection. Asked what it did to verify that consent, the agency answered: none.

“Consumer consent” justification → verification requested → no independent verification

Emails obtained by Senator Ron Wyden's office and reported by 404 Media examined the Secret Service's use of commercially sourced location information through Babel Street. Asked what steps it had taken to verify that consumers actually consented to onward sale and sharing of their location information, the agency's response was “None.”

The Federal Trade Commission later took enforcement action against Venntel, a supplier in the location-data ecosystem, alleging failures involving consumer consent and sensitive location data.

Why it matters: Clicking through an app's terms can become the claimed legal foundation for a surveillance transaction several companies downstream—without the government independently establishing that the person understood or agreed to that eventual use.

Sources: 404 Media — Secret Service correspondence · Federal Trade Commission — Gravy Analytics / Venntel action

WHY THIS LIBRARY EXISTS

This page preserves the anecdote and its caveats separately from the shorter Why Privacy Matters explainer. The goal is to keep the argument readable without hiding the receipts.