U.S. Central Command has confirmed that adversaries are exploiting commercially available location data to track and target American military personnel stationed in active war zones across the globe.

Key Points

• U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple reports of adversaries using commercial location data to surveil troops in theater.
• Senator Ron Wyden and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are urging the Pentagon to implement stricter data privacy protocols for military personnel.
• Lawmakers suggest disabling unique advertising IDs and restricting the use of data-heavy browsers like Google Chrome on government-issued devices.
• Commercial location data is typically harvested from smartphone apps and sold through a complex network of data brokers to advertisers.
• Previous investigations have demonstrated that this data can track special operations forces from domestic bases to sensitive international staging posts.

Why it Matters

The use of commercial data for military targeting highlights a significant national security vulnerability created by the unregulated global adtech industry. This trend forces the Pentagon to reconsider how everyday digital habits and smartphone usage patterns can inadvertently compromise the safety of personnel in combat zones.