The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that adversaries have targeted and surveilled serving military personnel on the battlefield using commercial location data, highlighting a concerning new dimension to digital privacy issues.
Sen. Ron Wyden has warned the ad industry is a ‘national security threat,’ suggesting governments are now treating online advertising as a significant risk to national security interests. The letter from U.S. Central Command revealed that multiple reports of hostile actors using purchased location data to track US personnel in theatre have been received.
Location data, often collected through online ads and sold by data brokers, can be obtained by governments and militaries without warrants. This practice has drawn criticism as the FBI has previously advised consumers to use ad blockers to limit data collection.
The revelation underscores how personal data, once gathered for mundane purposes like advertising, could be weaponized in sensitive situations. It also opens up a new front in the battle against privacy invasion—where your browsing habits and location might not just influence ads but put you at risk on the battlefield too.
