ATF ends phone-tracking pilot after bipartisan scrutiny

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ended a pilot contract for Penlink’s Webloc location-data tool after bipartisan scrutiny from lawmakers who questioned warrantless access to commercial phone-location data. ATF told lawmakers on June 18 that its director had decided to terminate the contract, and the agency said it is not using any other ad-tech-sourced services.

What changed

According to Sen. Ron Wyden’s office, ATF had used Webloc for 341 searches, including 222 tied to active case numbers. Rep. Michael Cloud’s office said lawmakers were briefed after a May 14 House Oversight hearing where ATF Director Robert Cekada testified. AP reported that the contract ended after lawmakers, a prosecutor and a judge raised concerns about the tool’s use in criminal investigations.

Why it matters

This is a concrete procurement and privacy rollback, but it is not a federal ban. AP reported that other agencies, including the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, still buy commercial geolocation data. Wyden also said ATF committed to reviewing other vendor contracts to make sure they do not rely on adtech-sourced data.

For readers, the next question is whether Congress or agencies expand limits on buying commercially collected location data, or whether similar tools continue with less public scrutiny.

Sources

• Associated Press report on ATF canceling the Webloc contract
• Sen. Ron Wyden press release on ATF contract cancellation
• Rep. Michael Cloud press release on ATF canceling the phone-tracking contract
• House Oversight hearing page on ATF and the Tiahrt Amendment