US military personnel deployed in war zones are being targeted reportedly using location data which is commercially available, according to military officials reports, which highlights how the battlefield is being designed based on the global surveillance economy.
Official confirmation of threat reports
The US Central Command said it had “received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater,” Reuters reported quoting a letter shared by Oregon’s Democratic Senator Ron Wyden.
The message, which was sent on April 14, didn’t offer any other specifics but the US Centcom’s area of responsibility includes the Gulf region where American forces are currently facing hostilities against Iranian military over the Strait of Hormuz.
Wyden and other legislators, in a letter to the Pentagon on Thursday, said the information is the first official confirmation that American military personnel are being targeted in the war zones, Reuters reported.
Implications for troop safety
The letter stated, “Commercial location data can be used to identify where U.S. troops congregate and their pattern of life, which can be exploited by adversaries to target attacks such as missiles, drones, and roadside bombs, as well as for counterintelligence purposes.”
The Oregon senator in a statement said it was time to “start treating the adtech industry as a national security threat.”
Story continues below this ad
Digital advertising widely uses location data which is a primary source of revenue for several technology companies.
This location data is gathered from smartphones, tablets and other digital devices by apps or service providers which is then sold to data brokers who assemble and resell it.
Regional conflict and escalation
The development comes as the US military remains engaged in conflict with Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz and fresh strikes have been reported by both countries.
US forces launched strikes in the southern Iranian region while Tehran retaliated with attacks in Kuwait, an American ally.
