ATF Cancels Penlink Webloc Contract After Scrutiny of Geolocation Searches
Summary
ATF canceled its Penlink Webloc pilot after scrutiny of its use of ad-tech geolocation data. Sen. Ron Wyden said the agency had conducted more than 340 searches; the agency said the tool no longer met its needs.
Key points
- ATF confirmed it canceled its Webloc pilot, describing it as a limited project for capabilities the agency no longer sought.
- Sen. Ron Wyden said ATF reported conducting more than 340 searches, including over 222 tied to active case numbers.
- ATF Director Robert Cekada previously said the agency had not used the system in a criminal case and had not established policies for its investigative use.
- Wyden's office said the tool was used to obtain location data for devices associated with a defense contractor around the time of a suspected arson; the agency later sought a court order for cell-tower data instead.
- Lawmakers and privacy advocates raised legal and constitutional concerns about government use of ad-tech location data without a warrant.
- Wyden urged Congress to pass the Government Surveillance Reform Act to address government purchases of commercial location data.
Article Details
- Event Type
- ATF canceled its contract with Penlink for the Webloc commercial location-surveillance tool after public scrutiny of its use of ad-tech geolocation data.
- Impact
- The cancellation ended a pilot for a tool ATF had used to conduct more than 340 searches, including more than 222 reportedly tied to active ATF case numbers, according to Sen. Ron Wyden. The use of ad-derived location data without a warrant drew legal and constitutional privacy concerns. ATF said the tool did not meet its needs and that it was not currently using other ad-tech-sourced services.
People
Michael CloudRepresentative who questioned Robert Cekada at a congressional hearing about ATF's purchase of Americans' geolocation data.Robert CekadaATF Director who acknowledged under questioning that the agency purchased access to an ad-tech geolocation system and discussed its use and the agency's lack of policies for it.Ron WydenSenator who requested an ATF briefing, reported the number of searches using Webloc, and called for legislation addressing government purchase of commercial location data.