US says troops targeted with location data, as senator warns ad industry poses ‘national security threat’

The US Department of Defense has confirmed that adversaries have targeted and monitored military personnel serving on the battlefield using commercial location data, the latest evidence of how information collected from phones and computers is being misused to track and target individuals.

in message US Central Command, which Senator Ron Wyden shared with TechCrunch, said it is aware of hostile actors using purchased location data to track US service members.

“US Central Command has received numerous threat reports relating to an adversary exploiting commercial location data to target or monitor US personnel in theater,” the letter said.

The letter did not provide examples or details, and a Defense Department spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Reuters Reported for the first time News on Thursday.

Location data is often collected from phones and computers through online advertising, which is then purchased by data brokers, who then sell the data on the open market. Governments and militaries, including the United States, have purchased this data in the past without obtaining a court order. In recent years, the F.B.I Consumers beware To use ad blockers as a way to reduce the amount of data that apps, websites, and other software can collect.

Wyden told Reuters it was time “to start treating the ad tech industry as a national security threat.”