GoKawiilPentagon disables ad-tracking IDs on military devices to shield troops from targeted attacks
The Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command have all turned off advertising tracking on government-issued phones and computers, according to a letter Senator Ron Wyden shared. The change, rolled out earlier this year with the Air Force following in July, blocks the advertising identifiers apps use to generate location data that gets sold to data brokers.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Wyden's office had found that foreign adversaries in the Middle East used commercially purchased location data to track and target U.S. service members, exposing a gap between military operational security and the largely unregulated ad-tech data supply chain. Even with government devices now protected, personal phones and contractor devices on military bases remain a vulnerability, showing that policy fixes lag behind the scale of commercial surveillance risks.
- Five branches of the U.S. military have disabled ad-tracking IDs on official iPhones, Android devices and Windows PCs.
- The move follows evidence that adversaries used purchased location data to target troops in the Middle East.
- Personal devices brought onto bases by troops and contractors still pose an unaddressed tracking risk.
Apple AirTag — Stay connected and keep track of your belongings with the Apple AirTag, a small and sleek device that helps you locate your keys, bags, or even your vehicle. As military personnel seek to protect their location data from adversaries, the AirTag offers a discreet and reliable way to ensure your valuables are always within reach and safe from unwanted tracking.
See Apple AirTag on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: techcrunch.com — Zack Whittaker, 2026-09-04
Published there as: “US military disabled ad tracking on troops’ devices following reports of targeted attacks”
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