CENTCOM informed lawmakers that adversaries are exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater.
A bipartisan group of legislators criticized the Pentagon for not implementing basic safeguards against the threat posed by data brokers, which collect and sell information about users’ movements.
They warned that such data could be used to identify military installations, monitor troop movements, or track individual service members.
The group urged the Pentagon to disable advertising identifiers on government-issued smartphones and to encourage personnel to take similar precautions on personal devices.
A cybersecurity expert noted that foreign actors could obtain cellphone‑location data through brokers, digital advertising networks and other commercial systems, describing it as a serious national security threat.
The warning also addressed risks from publicly posted material that can reveal where troops seek shelter or confirm whether Iranian strikes hit intended targets.
The Pentagon has referred the issue to CENTCOM for further analysis.
Attempts to obtain additional comments from diplomatic sources were not immediately successful.
