The major difference between the private investigator and the government investigator is that the private investigator works for private businesses or individuals and the government investigator is generally a sworn law enforcement officer, representing the people, and as such has certain authority that the private investigator does not have. However, a government investigator operates under certain restrictions that do not apply to the private investigator. The main thing to remember is that the private investigator works for private citizens, whether they are persons or companies, and sometimes even for the government.