- Move Follows Reports That Commercially Available Location Data Could Expose US Forces in Conflict Zones
WASHINGTON: US military authorities have begun disabling advertising identifiers on a range of government-issued mobile phones and computers amid growing concerns that commercially collected location data could be exploited to track and target American military personnel deployed in conflict zones.
The disclosures were contained in letters released Friday by US Senator Ron Wyden and in statements provided to Reuters, following reports that commercially available location information had been used to identify or target US forces in the Middle East.
Military Services Tighten Tracking Controls
The US Air Force told Wyden that it had disabled advertising identifiers on military computers and mobile devices approximately two months ago. US Special Operations Command separately said it had “recently” disabled the identifiers on its Windows devices.
The Army told Reuters that advertising IDs associated with mobile devices had been disabled earlier this year. It also said advertising IDs had been blocked on Windows computers since before 2021, while the feature had been disabled by default on Android and Apple mobile devices since at least February 2026.
The Navy also informed Wyden that advertising identifiers had been disabled on military devices but did not specify when the restrictions were introduced.
Location Data Poses Growing National Security Risk
The disclosures underscore mounting concerns within the US government over the national security implications of the commercial location-data industry.
Advertising companies and data brokers routinely collect, aggregate and sell information generated by digital devices. Such data can potentially reveal the movements and physical locations of individuals, including military personnel operating in sensitive or hostile environments.
Mobile advertising identifiers, commonly known as MAIDs, are unique device identifiers that can be used to monitor activity across applications and help determine a device user’s location.
Lawmakers Demand Pentagon Investigation
Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, has been pressing the Pentagon for months over the potential security risks posed by the commercial sale of location data.
On Friday, Wyden and Representative Pat Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican, asked the Pentagon to investigate whether the military has taken adequate measures to address the threat posed by the data-broker industry.
Wyden said the latest disclosures indicated that existing measures had not been sufficient to neutralize the threat. Harrigan warned that US adversaries should not be able to purchase commercially available information that could help them track American troops.
The Pentagon said it would respond directly to the lawmakers.
Concerns Extend Beyond Advertising IDs
The move to disable advertising identifiers comes as US military officials consider broader restrictions on smartphone use among deployed personnel.
Reuters reported in July that some US troops stationed in the Middle East could be ordered to surrender their mobile phones amid concerns that videos posted online could reveal sensitive information and assist Iranian efforts to locate American military facilities.
Privacy and advertising technology expert Zach Edwards, co-founder of Decryptads, described the decision to disable MAIDs on military-operated devices as a positive development.
He cautioned, however, that disabling advertising identifiers would not completely eliminate the possibility of tracking personnel. Other methods, including combining technical device information with network data or location signals, could still potentially be used to determine a person’s whereabouts.
The latest measures reflect the growing challenge facing militaries as commercially available digital data increasingly becomes a potential source of intelligence in modern conflicts.
BY: The Times Union
