The FBI Can't Find 'Missing' Records of Its Hacking Tools

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has admitted that it is unable to locate records related to the purchase of a series of hacking tools, despite investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in acquiring them. This revelation highlights the secrecy surrounding the agency's use of advanced technology in its investigations.

In a surprise twist, the FBI initially listed these hacking tool purchases as part of a public U.S. government procurement database, only to quietly remove them from online records without explanation. The move raises questions about the transparency and accountability of the country's primary law enforcement agency.

A recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request submitted by our publication shed light on this peculiar situation. According to a response received from the FBI, "Potentially responsive records were identified during the search" for the specific hacking tool contract in question. However, despite these initial findings, an additional search yielded unsuccessful results.

The cryptic response from the FBI leaves many questions unanswered about the fate of these records. The agency's acknowledgment that it was unable to review the missing documents due to their non-existent locations raises concerns about its commitment to transparency and openness.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the FBI's history of using classified technology in ordinary criminal investigations, pushing back against demands for details on hacking operations from defendants, and purchasing technology from surveillance vendors. The agency's actions underscore the tension between national security and public access to information.

The case also underscores the complexities of navigating the complex web of government records and databases. While the FBI's initial inclusion of these purchases in a public database was likely intended to increase transparency, its subsequent removal without explanation highlights the ever-present risks of secrecy and oversight.