US Military Disables Ad Trackers On Devices To Protect Troops

The US Military has disabled ad tracking on devices to safeguard troops from potential adversaries who could exploit publicly-available tracking data, according to a Reuters report. Military officials have disabled trackers on various computers and mobile devices, as revealed by letters released by Sen. Ron Wyden following reports of commercially-available tracking data being used to target troops in the Middle East.

Sen. Wyden stated that the military's efforts have not been successful in neutralizing this threat. U.S. Representative Pat Harrigan, a Republican from North Carolina, questioned whether adversaries should be able to purchase information that helps them track American troops, without providing a clear stance on whether the general public should have the same ability.

The Pentagon responded that they would address the lawmakers' concerns directly. The Army had blocked advertising IDs on Windows computers before 2021, while Android and Apple mobile devices had default disabling of these ads since at least February 2026. The initiative to reduce location data generated by smartphones is occurring as military officials consider more stringent restrictions on phone usage.

In July, Reuters reported that personnel deployed in the Middle East might have to surrender their phones due to concerns that mobile videos posted online were assisting Iran in targeting American bases.