The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed to Senator Ron Wyden that U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) received multiple threat reports indicating that hostile forces are purchasing commercial location data to track and surveil U.S. military personnel in war zones. The relevant letter was provided to Reuters and TechCrunch by Wyden’s office, without disclosing details of specific incidents; a Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
This type of location data is typically collected by mobile apps and websites through online advertising mechanisms, bought and sold by data brokers, and circulated on the open market. The U.S. government itself has previously purchased such data directly without needing a court order. In response, Wyden said it is time to treat the ad tech industry as a national security threat and called for legislative regulation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has previously advised consumers to use ad blockers to reduce data collection by apps and websites.