Pentagon Ignores Location Data Warnings as Enemies Target Troops
Original: The Pentagon Knew Enemies Could Track Troops’ Phones for Years. Now They Are
Why This Matters
Commercial data brokers create national security risks by enabling foreign targeting
US Central Command confirms adversaries are exploiting commercial location data to target American troops in the Middle East. Despite decade-long warnings that cheap data could expose troop locations, the Pentagon adopted few fixes.
A newly disclosed Centcom letter confirms the first official acknowledgment that adversaries are using commercial location data to hunt American forces in theater. For nearly a decade, the Pentagon received warnings from contractors and intelligence agencies that anyone could buy maps showing where troops sleep and work. A 2016 briefing at Fort Bragg demonstrated how commercial data could track phones from US bases through Turkey into Syria. Despite warnings, parts of the Defense Department became customers, with the Defense Intelligence Agency using commercially purchased phone location data on Americans without warrants. A 2023 Duke University study funded by West Point found researchers could buy military personnel data for 12 cents per record, including names, addresses, and health conditions of active-duty troops.