US Military Disables Ad Trackers on Devices Amid Security Concerns

1-Minute Brief

The move aims to address concerns about the use of commercial location data to potentially track US troops in sensitive regions.

Key Facts

• US military officials have disabled advertising trackers on a range of phones and computers used by personnel.
• The action was confirmed in letters released by US Senator Ron Wyden.
• The decision follows reports that commercially available location data had been used to target American forces in the Middle East.
• There have been growing calls to 'neutralize' the threat posed by such data tracking.
• Statements regarding the disabling of trackers were provided to Reuters, according to The Guardian.

What Happened

US military officials have disabled advertising trackers on devices used by troops, following reports that location data was used to target American forces in the Middle East.

Why It Matters

Disabling ad trackers is intended to reduce the risk of adversaries using commercial data to monitor or target US military personnel, especially in conflict zones.

What's Next

Further scrutiny of data privacy practices for military devices may follow, and officials may consider additional measures to protect sensitive information.