Justice Department Expedites EPIC’s FOIA Request for Policies on Location Data Use

The Department of Justice has agreed to expedite EPIC's FOIA request for information about the agency's legal guidance on the use of location data. EPIC asked for records "regarding the lawfulness of the use of location data for public health surveillance." EPIC's request went to the Office of Legal Counsel which provides legal advice to the President and all executive branch agencies. EPIC has previously litigated several high-profile FOIA cases against the OLC, including EPIC v. DOJ (legality of the NSA PRISM Program) and EPIC v. DOJ (legality of the warrantless wiretapping program). Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that the White House is considering surveillance techniques, such as geolocation and facial recognition.