The Digester

Government replaces FPDS with SAM.gov, making spy tech purchases harder to track

Feb 28th 2026

The government shut down FPDS.gov and moved procurement records to SAM.gov, a replacement that journalists say is harder to use and weakens public visibility into spy tech purchases.

  • FPDS.gov, the federal procurement database used by reporters and researchers, was shut down on Wednesday.
  • The government moved procurement data to a replacement site called SAM.gov with new branding and a different interface.
  • Reporters say the SAM.gov layout and search tools make it harder to reliably find and verify what agencies are buying.
  • FPDS had been a source for records showing purchases of tools such as phone hacking technology, bulk location data, and additional Palantir installations.
  • The change reduces transparency for oversight of agencies including ICE and complicates public monitoring of taxpayer-funded surveillance spending.

Sources

404media.co