Hostile adversaries have targeted and tracked active-duty US military personnel on the battlefield using purchased commercial location data harvested from mobile devices, the US Department of Defense confirmed this week.
Pentagon admits threat from commercial surveillance
In a letter shared by US Senator Ron Wyden with TechCrunch, US Central Command (USCENTCOM) acknowledged that hostile actors are actively leveraging commercially available location tracking to monitor American service members. The revelation highlights how easily data harvested from everyday consumer electronics can be weaponised in active conflict zones.
“USCENTCOM has received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater,” the official correspondence states.
A systemic vulnerability with no easy fix
While the military command declined to provide specific examples of these security breaches, the broader implications remain highly concerning. The Pentagon has so far not responded to requests for further comment on the nature of these threat reports, which were first reported by Reuters on Thursday.
How data brokers fuel the intelligence pipeline
The mechanism behind this surveillance relies on the mainstream digital advertising ecosystem. Location data is routinely harvested from mobile applications and web browsers, which is then compiled and sold by data brokers on the open market. This unregulated trade allows foreign intelligence agencies and hostile militias to purchase highly precise tracking information without oversight.
Ironically, Western governments and law enforcement agencies, including those in the United States, have frequently purchased this exact type of commercial data to bypass constitutional warrant requirements. To mitigate these risks, the FBI has previously advised the public to utilise ad-blocking software to restrict the volume of telemetry data that apps and websites can collect.
Adtech labelled a national security threat
The ease with which adversaries can track soldiers has intensified political pressure on the digital advertising sector. In light of the disclosures, Senator Wyden argued that the unregulated flow of personal data has evolved from a privacy concern into a major geopolitical vulnerability, stating it is time to “start treating the adtech industry as a national security threat.”