The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has pulled the plug on a contract with Penlink that used ad-surveillance technology to track Americans’ locations, according to reporting from CyberScoop.
The tool, called Webloc, let the agency purchase geolocation data collected from mobile apps — essentially buying its way around warrant requirements. ATF Director Robert Cekada confirmed the contract’s existence during a congressional hearing.
His office later revealed the agency had conducted more than 340 searches using the system, with 222 of those tied to active case numbers. That contradicted earlier claims that the tool hadn’t been used in investigations.
Senator Ron Wyden called the cancellation a win for constitutional rights. His office pointed out that buying location data through data brokers is illegal in some states and has been labeled a deceptive practice by the FTC.
The case highlights a growing tension between law enforcement’s appetite for digital surveillance tools and a bipartisan push to close the so-called data broker loophole — where agencies purchase personal data that would otherwise require a warrant to obtain.
