US military turns off ad trackers on devices amid Middle East targeting reports: Reuters
The move follows reports that commercially sold location data helped target U.S. forces, and lawmakers say the trackers could expose troops to attack.
- On Friday, U.S. military officials confirmed they have disabled advertising trackers on phones and computers, following reports that commercially available location data had been used to target American forces in West Asia.
- Senator Ron Wyden and Representative Pat Harrigan demanded an investigation into the location data trade, as military officials weigh broader restrictions on phone use to protect personnel from tracking by foreign adversaries.
- The Army has blocked mobile ad IDs since at least February 2026, while the Air Force disabled identifiers two months ago and Special Operations Command acted "recently" on Windows devices.
- Privacy expert Zach Edwards of Decryptads called the move "definitely a positive thing," noting the restrictions "will essentially ensure their location isn't being included in bulk data sales being done by numerous vendors."
- Despite these updates, Senator Wyden argued the military's efforts "have not been effective at neutralizing this threat," while Representative Harrigan insisted adversaries "should not be able to pull out a credit card and buy information" to track troops.
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US military disables ad trackers amid concerns over troops’ safety
The new security measures come after commercial data was used to track and target U.S. forces in the Middle East. The post US military disables ad trackers amid concerns over troops’ safety appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Military Branches Finally Disable Ad Trackers After Location Data Fuels Attacks on Troops
U.S. military branches have disabled advertising identifiers on devices after adversaries used bought location data to target troops in the Middle East. The changes follow years of ignored warnings from internal reports and lawmakers. Senator Ron Wyden calls the adtech industry a national security threat. Yet personal phones and persistent data brokers limit the fix.
US Military Disables Ad Tracking On Troops' Devices After Location Data Used To Target Them
The US military has disabled advertising trackers on phones and computers used by its personnel amid concerns that commercially available location data could be used to track and target American troops in the Middle East.
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