Report: U.S. Intelligence Gathers ‘Sensitive and Intimate’ Data From ‘Nearly Everyone’

Nowadays, nearly everything we depend on has the ability to collect information about us, including our smartphones, computers, cars, and even household appliances. Whether we like it or not, this data often ends up in the hands of marketing giants who utilize it to flood us with targeted advertisements. However, a recently declassified report has shed light on the fact that advertisers are not the sole purchasers of our data—the US government is also a significant customer. 

 In January 2022, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) finalized a report focused on “commercially-available information” (CAI). The ODNI defines CAI as data that can be acquired not only by the government but also by companies and the general public. While not all CAI originates from our devices, a substantial portion of it does. 

The ODNI acknowledges that the “volume and sensitivity” of CAI has dramatically increased in recent years due to advancements in digital technology.

The ODNI’s document explicitly highlights two key points regarding CAI. Firstly, it reveals that CAI can be de-anonymized and linked to individual US residents, even if the seller has attempted to anonymize it. Secondly, the ODNI recognizes CAI as a valuable intelligence source, which is occasionally employed for undisclosed missions outlined in the report.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has issued a 48-page report war

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