Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act

GoodDormantH.R.4639 (118th)United StatesUnited States
Passed the House in the 118th Congress; died in the SenateLow threat

A protective bill that would stop the government buying Americans' data from brokers to sidestep a warrant. Passed the House in 2024, died in the Senate.

What it does

The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act would stop police and intelligence agencies from buying Americans' location and communications data from brokers without a court order. It closes the gap that lets agencies purchase what they would otherwise need a warrant to get.

Why it matters

Buying data from brokers is how agencies skip the warrant. Shutting the broker loophole puts the court order back in front of information about ordinary people.

Our take

One of the good ones. It passed the House with a bipartisan majority in 2024, then stalled in the Senate against White House objections. The idea keeps returning because the broker loophole keeps growing.

Previous versions

117th Congress (2021) S.1265

Died in committee

118th Congress (2023) H.R.4639

Passed the House 219-199; died in the Senate