US Military Disables Ad Trackers on Devices to Shield Troops
The U.S. military disabled ad trackers on troops’ devices after reports that location data could help enemies target them.
The disclosures follow reports that commercially available tracking data has been used to target troops in the Middle East. Sen. Wyden said in a statement it was clear that the military’s efforts “have not been effective at neutralizing this threat.” Rep. Pat Harrigan, a North Carolina Republican, said U.S. enemies “should not be able to pull out a credit card and buy information that helps them track American troops.”
The Pentagon said in an email that it would respond to the lawmakers directly, Reuters reported. The Army said in a statement that advertising IDs had been blocked on Windows computers “since before 2021,” but Android and Apple mobile devices had only had them disabled by default “since at least February 2026.”
The effort to reduce location data generated by smartphones comes as military officials weigh increasingly strict restrictions on phone use overall. Reuters reported in July that some deployed personnel in the Middle East could be ordered to surrender their phones amid concerns that mobile videos they were posting online were helping Iran target American bases in the region.