Deep State Shenanigans (Intelligence Overreach)

So as I get ready to hibernate for the night, I’m scrolling headlines, as most do, never reading further. All of a sudden, what should I see, but a headline that screams at me to read just a little further. 

And what could that headline be, you may ask? Well, I’ll tell you. 

“Defense Intelligence Agency Buying Phone Location Data Without Warrants”

This actually disturbs me a little, and this already has a bit of a court case behind it. Let’s discuss… no I’ll just tell you. 

See in 2018 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Timothy Carpenter in Carpenter v. United States.

The short version: Carpenter allegedly committed armed robbery. The established doctrine prior to the ruling was the historical cell location data could be obtained simply by asking for it, claiming it to be part of an investigation and not requiring a warrant. The ruling mandates the government is REQUIRED to obtain a warrant to gain access to such data.

The long version: This isn’t the local sheriff getting some call logs to establish a connection. This is the US (NSA, CIA, OGA? The DIA wasn’t specific) purchasing cell location data EN MASSE with no case to investigate. 

YOUR tax money was given to AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, etc. to collect YOUR cell data for storage with no open case (on most of us) and not by Deputy Dopey, by an unspecified INTELLIGENCE agency, possibly one I can’t name here, because it doesn’t officially exist. And yes, there are several. 

Why can they do this you might ask? Well, in an abrupt turn of events, I will refer to a (insert dry heaving) Democrat from… Oregon? Seriously? Senator Ron Wynden from Oregon, a Democrat. Well, guess they can’t all be satan worshipers.

Well Sen Wynden asked that same question and the response is… telling. 

The DIA said it “does not construe the Carpenter decision to require a judicial warrant to purchase or use commercially-available data for intelligence purposes.”

I think I’ll let that stew for a bit. You getting mad yet? You should be. Read the response letter below.

Why this should worry you? I’ll give one example. As of now, the government is prohibited from creating a Firearm Registry, we can argue about whether or not they have one anyway, but that’s another topic. There are 393+ Million guns in civilian hands in the US, and those are just what they know about. This number doesn’t include hand me downs and home made. If they want to know who has guns, all they really have to do is look at the cell location data for the gun ranges. There’s only one reason to go to a gun range. To shoot a gun. You don’t necessarily have to buy a gun because you went to Bass Pro, but 99% of people who have a geo location history of gun ranges will have a gun… and ammo. They know who to start with for confiscation. 

Need a second example? Ok. Let’s get dirty. Let’s say Bill Whittle is helping to sponsor a Senate candidate. And that candidate has a cell location history of a casino every 2 weeks. Not necessarily meaning the guy has a habit or bad judgement, but a routine history of gambling. Think that might be used against a candidate who espouses anti deep state rhetoric? Not that we haven’t seen, in recent history, the intelligence community mobilized against a political candidate before, right?

Again, the response letter from the DNI is below for you to read.