Pentagon confirms US troops targeted via commercial location data in war zones
The Pentagon has confirmed for the first time that U.S. forces in active war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data from smartphones and browsers. U.S. Central Command reported multiple threat incidents where adversaries exploited such data to surveil or attack personnel. Bipartisan lawmakers urged the Pentagon to disable advertising IDs, restrict location sharing, and move away from Google Chrome, calling the adtech industry a national security threat. Google defended Chrome’s security but supported stronger data broker safeguards.
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Data brokers are helping enemies target US troops. The Pentagon must step up, lawmakers say
A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. lawmakers, led by Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Pat Harrigan, sent a letter to Pentagon CIO Kirsten Davies warning that the Department of Defense has failed to protect military personnel from adversaries using commercially available location data from data brokers. U.S. Central Command confirmed it has received multiple threat reports of adversary exploitation of such data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The lawmakers noted that CENTCOM only rolled out the ability to disable location sharing on smartphones this month, and that advertising IDs—which enable tracking—remain active on government-issued devices. They urged the Pentagon to disable advertising IDs, remove data-collecting web browsers, and require privacy-focused browsers with anti-tracking features. The issue echoes past incidents with fitness apps like Strava and Polar that inadvertently revealed military locations.
Defense One - All ContentData brokers are helping enemies target US troops. The Pentagon must step up, lawmakers say
A bipartisan group of 14 U.S. lawmakers, led by Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Pat Harrigan, sent a letter to Pentagon CIO Kirsten Davies warning that the Department of Defense has failed to protect military personnel from adversaries using commercially available location data from data brokers. U.S. Central Command confirmed it has received multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The lawmakers noted that CENTCOM only rolled out the capability to disable location sharing on smartphones this month, and has not disabled advertising IDs on government-issued devices as recommended by NSA and CISA. The letter urges DOD to disable advertising IDs, issue guidance for personal devices, and replace data-collecting web browsers with privacy-focused alternatives. The issue echoes past incidents with fitness apps Strava and Polar revealing military locations.
Defense One - All ContentU.S. military personnel targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon letter confirms
A letter from U.S. Central Command (Centcom) confirms that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, marking the first official acknowledgment of such threats. The letter, sent on April 14 and shared by Senator Ron Wyden, states that Centcom received multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The disclosure prompted a bipartisan group of lawmakers to send a letter to the Pentagon on Thursday, urging faster action to protect troops, such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices and turning off location sharing. The lawmakers criticized the adtech industry as a national security threat. The Pentagon said it would respond directly but did not elaborate. The article notes that location data is widely used in digital advertising and has been a known privacy and security risk since at least 2016, when a defense contractor tracked special forces to a staging post in Syria.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.US troops targeted using commercially available location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The disclosure marks the first official confirmation of such targeting in an active war zone. A bipartisan group of lawmakers warned that location data can reveal troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling attacks with missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. The letter urged the Pentagon to disable advertising IDs on military devices, turn off location sharing, and move away from Google Chrome. Wyden called for treating the adtech industry as a national security threat. Google defended Chrome's security but supported stronger data broker rules.
Air Force TimesPentagon confirms US troops targeted using commercial location data
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. This marks the first official confirmation that U.S. forces have been targeted in an active war zone using such data. Lawmakers, including former Army Special Forces officer Representative Pat Harrigan, warned that location data from smartphones and browsers like Google Chrome can be used to identify troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling attacks with missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. The lawmakers criticized the Pentagon for not acting faster to protect personnel by disabling advertising IDs and location sharing on military devices. Google defended Chrome's security but advocated for stronger rules against data brokers.
Marine Corps TimesPentagon Confirms U.S. Troops Targeted via Commercial Location Data in War Zones
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to surveil or target U.S. personnel in theater, though no specifics were provided. This marks the first official confirmation of such targeting in an active war zone. Lawmakers, including former Special Forces officer Rep. Pat Harrigan, warned that location data can reveal troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling missile, drone, and roadside bomb attacks. They criticized the Pentagon for not acting faster to protect personnel, such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices and restricting location sharing. The article highlights the broader national security risks of the global surveillance economy, where data brokers collect and resell smartphone location data, often without user knowledge.
Marine Corps TimesUS troops targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports received by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The disclosure marks the first official confirmation of such targeting in an active war zone. Lawmakers, including former Special Forces officer Rep. Pat Harrigan, warned that location data can reveal troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling attacks with missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. The letter urged the Pentagon to disable advertising IDs on military devices, turn off location sharing, and move away from Google Chrome. Google defended Chrome's security but supported stronger data broker regulations. The trade in location data, widely used in digital advertising, has long raised privacy concerns but is now seen as a national security threat.
Air Force TimesUS troops targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, marking the first official acknowledgment of such threats in active theaters. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command reported multiple instances of adversaries exploiting location data to target or surveil American personnel. The disclosure has prompted bipartisan lawmakers to urge the Pentagon to take stronger protective measures, such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices and restricting location sharing. The article highlights the broader national security risks posed by the digital advertising industry's trade in location data, which can reveal troop movements and patterns of life. Google responded by defending Chrome's security while advocating for stronger data broker regulations. The report underscores growing concerns about the intersection of commercial surveillance and battlefield vulnerabilities.
Defense NewsUS troops targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command said it had received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The disclosure marks the first official confirmation that U.S. forces have been targeted in an active war zone using such data. Lawmakers, including Wyden and Representative Pat Harrigan, warned that location data can identify troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling attacks with missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. They urged the Pentagon to disable advertising IDs on military devices, turn off location sharing, and switch from Google Chrome to more privacy-focused browsers. Google defended Chrome's security but advocated for stronger data broker safeguards. The article highlights the growing national security risks posed by the global surveillance economy and the trade in location data.
Defense NewsUS troops targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command said it had received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The disclosure marks the first official confirmation that U.S. forces have been targeted in an active war zone using such data. Lawmakers warned that location data can identify troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling attacks with missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. Senator Wyden called for treating the adtech industry as a national security threat. The lawmakers urged the Pentagon to disable advertising IDs on military devices, turn off location sharing, and steer staff away from Google Chrome. Google defended Chrome's security and advocated for stronger data broker safeguards.
Military TimesPentagon confirms US troops targeted via commercial location data in war zones
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. This marks the first official confirmation that U.S. forces have been targeted in an active war zone using such data. Lawmakers, including former Special Forces officer Rep. Pat Harrigan, warned that location data can identify troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling missile, drone, and roadside bomb attacks. They criticized the Pentagon for not acting faster to protect personnel, such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices or switching from Google Chrome to more privacy-focused browsers. Google defended Chrome's security but supported stronger data broker regulations. The trade in location data, widely used in digital advertising, has long raised privacy concerns but is now seen as a growing national security threat.
Marine Corps TimesUS troops targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, marking the first official acknowledgment of such threats in active theaters. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command reported multiple threat incidents where adversaries exploited location data to surveil or target American personnel. The disclosure prompted a bipartisan group of lawmakers to urge the Pentagon to take immediate protective measures, including disabling advertising IDs on military devices, turning off location sharing, and switching from Google Chrome to more privacy-focused browsers. The article highlights the broader national security risks of the global surveillance economy, where data brokers collect and sell smartphone location data originally gathered for digital advertising. Previous incidents include tracking special operations forces from the U.S. to Syria in 2016 and exposing personnel movements around U.S. military sites in Germany. Google responded by noting Chrome's security features and advocating for stronger data broker regulations.
Military TimesPentagon confirms US troops targeted via commercial location data in war zones
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command acknowledged receiving multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater. The disclosure marks the first official confirmation that U.S. forces have been targeted in an active war zone using such data. A bipartisan group of lawmakers warned that location data can identify troop concentrations and patterns of life, enabling attacks with missiles, drones, and roadside bombs. The lawmakers criticized the Pentagon for not acting faster to protect personnel, such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices and steering staff away from Google Chrome. Google defended Chrome's security but advocated for stronger data broker safeguards. The article highlights the broader national security risks of the global surveillance economy and digital advertising industry.
C4ISRNetUS troops targeted using commercial location data, Pentagon confirms
The Pentagon has confirmed that U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, marking the first official acknowledgment of such threats in active theaters. In a letter shared by Senator Ron Wyden, U.S. Central Command reported multiple instances of adversaries exploiting location data to surveil or target American personnel. The disclosure has prompted bipartisan lawmakers to urge the Pentagon to take immediate protective measures, such as disabling advertising IDs on military devices and restricting location sharing. The article highlights the broader national security risks posed by the global surveillance economy, where data brokers collect and sell smartphone location information. Critics, including former Special Forces officer Representative Pat Harrigan, argue that browsers like Google Chrome exacerbate the vulnerability by design. Google defended Chrome's security but supported stronger data broker regulations. The report underscores growing concerns over how commercial data practices endanger military operations and personnel safety.
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