WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) canceled its contract for Webloc, a surveillance tool that allowed for warrantless tracking of mobile devices, on June 26, 2026. The agency's decision followed congressional scrutiny regarding its use of bulk commercial location data.

ATF Director Robert Cekada acknowledged in a May congressional hearing that the agency had been purchasing geolocation data on American cell phones. An ATF spokesperson said the agency discontinued what it called a "pilot" program using Webloc and determined that the tool "does not meet our needs." The spokesperson added that the ATF continually evaluates tools and techniques to enhance investigations and reduce violent crime. The agency also stated it is not currently using any other ad-tech-sourced services.

Webloc, manufactured by Penlink, sources data from consumer apps and advertising networks. These networks collect mobile device location information from consumers who download apps or browse the web. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Representative Michael Cloud of Texas expressed reservations about the ATF's use of this data.

Senator Wyden and Representative Cloud's offices were briefed by the ATF after the May congressional hearing. In a joint press release, they stated that the ATF had conducted more than 300 warrantless searches using Webloc, with over 200 of these searches tied to active ATF cases. Senator Wyden said that after his staff and Representative Cloud's informed the ATF about legal and privacy issues surrounding ad-tech data, the agency "did the right thing" by abandoning the software. He called it "a victory for Americans' constitutional rights."

Senator Wyden stated that he had warned for years that the government's purchase of Americans' location data from data brokers represented an "unacceptable end-run around the Fourth Amendment." In one instance concerning suspected arson, both a prosecutor and a judge raised concerns about the use of Webloc ad-tech data. Senator Wyden and Representative Cloud also stated that in this case, the ATF "was ultimately forced to backtrack and obtain a traditional court order for bulk cellphone tower data" from cell carriers.

While the ATF has ceased its use of Webloc, other federal agencies continue to buy commercial geolocation data. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. military also use Webloc. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continue to acquire commercial geolocation data. In January, the DHS issued a request for information to private industry concerning how commercially available advertising data could assist its deportation and law enforcement missions. FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the FBI purchases commercially available information consistent with the constitution and laws under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and that it has led to "valuable intelligence."

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that police require a warrant to obtain historic movement data from cellphone companies for a criminal suspect. Senator Wyden, along with Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah, Republican Representative Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, have introduced a bill that seeks to ban the practice of purchasing data without a judicial order.