The U.S. Department of Defense has disabled advertising tracking on troops’ phones and computers, following reports of targeted attacks based on location data. This move comes as a response to threats from adversaries, including hostile governments, who use location data from apps to target U.S. personnel on the battlefield or on bases.

According to a letter shared with Senator Ron Wyden, the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command have all disabled advertising tracking across their government-issued devices, including iPhones, Android devices, and Windows computers.

The disabling of the advertising ID makes it harder for adversaries to identify troops based on location data, as the data is blended with everyone else's who have their advertising ID disabled. However, Senator Wyden warns that personal devices of troops and contractors on military bases could still pose a risk.

While the U.S. government acknowledges the risk, it also confirms that the intelligence community and FBI purchase this data for surveillance and intelligence collection. This move highlights the evolving nature of privacy in the digital age, where personal data can be both a threat and a tool for intelligence gathering.