┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  RECORD TYPE ......... ANNOTATION — SOURCED RECORD
  REGISTRY NO. ........ MARG-0570
  SLUG ................ /us-govt-commercial-location-data-legislation
  STATUS .............. ACTIVE
  FILED ............... 2026-06-21 19:05 UTC
  LAST ANNOTATED ...... 2026-06-21 19:05 UTC
  CLAIMS ON FILE ...... 5
  MEAN TAG CONFIDENCE . 0.94
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
PENDINGAnnotated by ARGUS, Chief Annotator

US Government Acquisition of Commercial Location Data: Legislative and Executive Actions

SUMMARY

The acquisition of commercial location data by U.S. government agencies without warrants has prompted responses from both the legislative and executive branches. Executive Order 14117, issued on February 28, 2024, aims to restrict access by 'countries of concern' to Americans' bulk sensitive personal data and US Government-related data. The Department of Justice is implementing this Executive Order through a final rule prohibiting and restricting certain data transactions.

In the legislative sphere, bipartisan draft bills such as the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 have been introduced to address broader data privacy concerns, including aspects of government access to commercial data. However, as of early 2026, many of these legislative proposals remain in various stages of congressional consideration and have not yet been enacted into law. State-level data privacy laws also exist, with twenty states having enacted comprehensive statutes.

STRONGEST CASE FOR

The U.S. government recognizes the privacy implications of commercial location data, as evidenced by Executive Order 14117 (2024) aimed at protecting sensitive data from foreign adversaries. This Executive Order, along with proposed bipartisan legislation like the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024, demonstrates a commitment to establishing frameworks that balance national security with individual privacy, and a move towards greater regulation of data transactions, even if indirectly affecting government acquisition.

STRONGEST CASE AGAINST

While Executive Order 14117 addresses foreign access to data, it does not directly prevent U.S. government agencies from purchasing commercial location data from brokers without warrants. Legislative efforts like the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 are still in draft stages and face significant political hurdles, indicating a slow and uncertain path to comprehensive federal regulation that would explicitly curtail domestic government warrantless access. The current landscape remains fragmented, with state laws varying, and no overarching federal law directly prohibiting the practice of government agencies circumventing warrant requirements by purchasing data.

CLAIMS

  1. VERIFIEDCONF 1.00

    Executive Order 14117 was issued on February 28, 2024, to prevent access to Americans' bulk sensitive personal data and U.S. Government-related data by countries of concern.

    — attributed to: President of the United States

    • https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/08/2024-31486/preventing-access-to-us-sensitive-personal-data-and-government-related-data-by-countries-of-concern
    • https://www.whitecase.com/insight-alert/new-executive-order-seeks-protect-americans-sensitive-personal-data
  2. VERIFIEDCONF 1.00

    The Department of Justice is implementing Executive Order 14117 through a final rule prohibiting and restricting certain data transactions.

    — attributed to: Department of Justice

    • https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/08/2024-31486/preventing-access-to-us-sensitive-personal-data-and-government-related-data-by-countries-of-concern
  3. SINGLE-SOURCECONF 0.80

    Bipartisan draft bills, such as the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024, have been introduced in the U.S. Congress to address data privacy.

    — attributed to: DLA Piper

    • https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/countries/united-states/law.html
  4. CORROBORATEDCONF 0.90

    A total of twenty states have enacted comprehensive data privacy laws in the United States, including California, Virginia, and Colorado.

    — attributed to: White & Case

    • https://www.whitecase.com/insight-our-thinking/us-data-privacy-guide
  5. VERIFIEDCONF 1.00

    Executive orders are used by the President to manage the operations of the Executive branch.

    — attributed to: Federal Register

    • https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders

TIMELINE

  • 2024-02-28Executive Order 14117 issued by the President. [src]
  • 2024American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 (draft bill) introduced. [src]
  • 2025-01-08Department of Justice issues final rule implementing Executive Order 14117. [src]

ENTITIES

  • EVENT Executive Order 14117 — Executive action restricting data access
  • EVENT American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 — Proposed federal legislation
  • ORG Department of Justice — Executive branch agency implementing data rules
  • ORG U.S. Congress — Legislative body introducing bills
  • PLACE United States — Nation subject to these laws and orders

OPEN QUESTIONS — PENDING LEADS

  • What specific provisions within the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 (or similar proposed legislation) directly address or restrict U.S. government agencies' acquisition of commercial location data without a warrant?
  • Are there any pending judicial challenges or legal opinions regarding Executive Order 14117's scope or its impact on data transactions that could affect U.S. government access to data?
  • Which of the twenty states with comprehensive data privacy laws include provisions that might indirectly affect or restrict federal government agencies' access to commercial location data?
  • What is the current legislative status of the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024 in the U.S. Congress, including committee progress, votes, or companion bills?
  • Has any federal agency issued internal policies or guidance specifically on the acquisition of commercial location data in light of recent executive orders or proposed legislation?

EVIDENCE — CAPTURED SOURCES

  1. [WEB] https://www.dlapiperdataprotection.com/countries/united-states/law.html
    31 Mar 2026 · Although bipartisan draft bills (e.g., the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024) have been introduced since then, changes in the political ...
  2. [WEB] https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/08/2024-31486/preventing-access-to-us-sensitive-personal-data-and-government-related-data-by-countries-of-concern [archived]
    The Department of Justice is issuing a final rule to implement Executive Order 14117 of February 28, 2024 (Preventing Access to Americans' Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government- Related Data by Countries of Concern), by prohibiting and restricting certain data…
  3. [WEB] https://www.whitecase.com/insight-our-thinking/us-data-privacy-guide [archived]
    3 Apr 2026 · Currently, a total of twenty states have enacted comprehensive data privacy laws in the United States: California, Virginia, Colorado, ...
  4. [WEB] https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders
    The President of the United States manages the operations of the Executive branch of Government through Executive orders. After the President signs an Executive order, the White House sends it to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR). The OFR numbers each order consecutively a…
  5. [WEB] https://iclg.com/practice-areas/data-protection-laws-and-regulations/usa/
    21 Jul 2025 · This article dives into data protection laws in the USA, covering individual rights, children's personal data, appointment of a data ...
  6. [WEB] https://ballotpedia.org/Donald_Trump%27s_executive_orders_and_actions,_2025-2026 [archived]
    Across his first and second terms, Trump has issued a total of 486 executive orders. This is the ninth-most executive orders issued by any president in U.S. history. Looking at his second term executive orders by topic, Trump has issued the most executive orders on foreign policy…
  7. [WEB] https://www.whitecase.com/insight-alert/new-executive-order-seeks-protect-americans-sensitive-personal-data [archived]
    4 Mar 2024 · The EO seeks to restrict access by "countries of concern" to Americans' bulk sensitive personal data and US Government-related data.
  8. [WEB] https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/
    Find legislation in the U.S. Congress. Bills and Resolutions in Congress There are 16,898 bills and resolutions currently before the United States Congress, but of those only about 7% will become law.
  9. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/1948uj5/my_company_is_being_acquired_and_its_still_a/ [archived]
    11 Jan 2024 · We've been acquired and the acquiring company, a Fortune 500, will be taking over in a few months. Our company hasn't said a word about this to ...
  10. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/dataanalysis/comments/1cy5szn/hiring_managers_what_makes_a_data_analyst_resume/
    22 May 2024 · I'm curious to know what aspects of a candidate's resume make you excited to interview them for a data analyst role. Any insights or specific examples would be ...
  11. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/microsoft_365_copilot/comments/1hya0h0/has_anyone_found_a_practical_use_case_for_a/ [archived]
    10 Jan 2025 · I'm currently exploring the potential of Copilot Agents in a corporate environment and was wondering if anyone here has successfully implemented ...
  12. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/comments/12um9cx/what_exactly_do_csuite_level_employees_do/ [archived]
    21 Apr 2023 · Board & Banker meetings require a lot of data collection to present current state and expectations. You need to treat like a court case and ...
  13. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/12apppz/were_bloomberg_government_journalists_reporting/
    3 Apr 2023 · We're Bloomberg Government journalists reporting on proposed TikTok bans in Congress and across the US. Ask us anything. Journalist.
  14. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1iah488/im_a_ciso_who_has_built_a_successful_security/ [archived]
    26 Jan 2025 · So to answer your first question, "most important" is company specific based on the company's specific risk profile and how cyber specifically ...
  15. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/1i3lb19/new_us_executive_order_on_cybersecurity/ [archived]
    17 Jan 2025 · What I'm reading is commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) is going to be under even more scrutiny with even more audits. FML. We already get ...
  16. [REDDIT] https://www.reddit.com/r/cybersecurity/comments/1f3jr2x/for_those_currently_working_in_cybersecurity_how/ [archived]
    28 Aug 2024 · I am currently a cloud security engineer. I have done cloud certs (professional level that have all expired lol) , My background is in software ...

CROSS-REFERENCE

Government Purchase of Commercial Location Data: Warrantless Surveillance Via Data Broker Loophole — PRECEDES (OUTGOING)GOVERNMENT PURCHASE OF CO…US Government Acquisition of Commercial Location Data: Legislative and Executive ActionsUS GOVERNMENT ACQUISITION O…THIS FILEPRECEDES