U.S. law enforcement agencies have been urged by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., to provide more information regarding private data set purchases following testimony during a House Judiciary hearing last month that detailed the frequent usage of private databases in their investigations, reports CyberScoop.
Thompson and Nadler sent a letter calling on Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives leaders to provide documents involving personal data procurement from private firms, information pertaining to their use in investigations, and contracts with private firms by Aug. 30 in an effort to shed more light on agencies' transactions with data brokers.
"While law enforcement investigations necessitate some searches, improper government acquisition of this data can thwart statutory and constitutional protections designed to protect Americans due process rights," wrote Thompson and Nadler.
