U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-13 District)
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
MELVINDALE – U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-13th District) joined others calling for an investigation into the purchase by the U.S. military of private location data from apps aimed at Muslim users.
The letter was directed to Defense Secretary General Lloyd Austin and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and requested information about the information gleaned from the data, as well as information about possible violation of privacy rights granted by the Constitution and protected by law.
“President Biden must ensure that the civil rights of all people, including Muslim Americans, are protected,” she said. “We cannot continue to allow our government to intrude on and violate the privacy and rights of people across this country.”
Tlaib said the application of the Constitution should be consistently applied to all.
“The reports that the United States military purchased data from apps targeting Muslim audiences is beyond troubling,” she said. “We need answers as to why this happened and action to ensure it never happens again.”
The letter demands to know if the location data was used to conduct warrantless surveillance, and if such purchases only targeted Muslim Americans, and did not target other ethnic groups. She also asked if the location data had been used in any court proceedings.
The letter urged that the First and Fourth amendment rights of all Americans, whatever their ethnicity or religion, be protected and enforced equally.
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, religion and the press, while the Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures, and requires search warrants.
For more information, go to tlaib.house.gov/media/press-releases/tlaib-pocan-omar-request-investigation-us-military-purchase-muslim-users-data.