Fedware: 13 Government Apps That Spy Harder Than the Apps They Ban

A detailed investigation into 13 U.S. federal government Android apps reveals extensive data collection practices that rival or exceed those of apps the government has sought to ban. The White House app ships with a sanctioned Huawei tracking SDK and requests GPS, biometrics, and storage access for a news app. The FBI's app contains ad-serving trackers (Google AdMob) while reading phone identity. FEMA requests 28 permissions to deliver weather alerts. CBP Mobile Passport Control retains faceprints for up to 75 years shared across DHS, ICE, and FBI. ICE's Mobile Fortify facial recognition tool, powered by a $9.2M Clearview AI contract, draws on 50 billion images with no opt-out. The SmartLINK monitoring app collects geolocation, voice prints, and contact data under a $2.2B private prison contract. Beyond apps, agencies like DHS, FBI, DOD, and DEA purchase location data from 250M+ devices daily through data brokers, bypassing warrant requirements. An IRS-ICE data-sharing deal exposed millions of taxpayer records. Nearly 60% of GAO privacy recommendations since 2010 remain unimplemented, and Congress has twice failed to pass comprehensive privacy legislation.