US military disables ad trackers on troops’ phones amid security fears
Senator releases letters from armed forces after reports of location data being used to track US troops in Middle East US military officials say they have disabled advertising trackers on a range of phones and computers, according to letters released on Friday by the US senator Ron Wyden and statements given to Reuters. The development follows reports that commercially available location data had…
US military has disabled advertising trackers on troops' phones in response to security concerns, according to letters released by Senator Ron Wyden. The Pentagon's various branches confirmed disabling advertising identifiers on computers and mobile devices, though the specific timing varies. The move aims to prevent commercial data brokers from tracking and targeting American forces in the Middle East using location data.
Wyden has been pushing the military on this issue for months, and similar letters from the Army and Navy to Wyden also reported disabling advertising IDs on military devices. However, no details were provided on when the restrictions were enforced. The Pentagon is considering stricter restrictions on phone use, with some troops potentially ordered to surrender their phones due to concerns about military videos being used to target bases.
Wyden and Representative Pat Harrigan have requested an investigation into the military's ability to counter the threats posed by location data trade.
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