US troops could be at risk of being targeted by enemies using commercial location data from their cellphones, the same kind that apps and advertisers use to track everyday users.
Written responses from US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, to lawmakers said that the command has received “multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil US personnel in theater.”
The responses, as well as a letter between lawmakers and the Pentagon, were first reported by Reuters.
CENTCOM said it used the threat reports to learn more about how American forces are vulnerable to surveillance and to inform force protection measures in the region. US military personnel are allowed to have and use their personal phones in the area, but there is guidance on how to disable geolocation capabilities.
Sometimes that’s not enough to protect troops.
“The guidance notes that disabling geolocation capabilities does not always fully disable them on commercial products, requiring personnel to implement comprehensive device security measures, including privacy setting reviews,” CENTCOM said.
And while government-issued phones are configured to disable mobile advertising tracking, some information isn’t blocked and can be edited by the user. The Pentagon’s Defense Information Systems Agency is working to completely remove that option on government-issued phones.
In a letter sent Thursday to the Pentagon’s chief information officer that cites the April responses from CENTCOM, lawmakers raised concerns that “DoD has not taken basic steps to protect US military personnel from the serious counterintelligence and force protection threat posed by the collection and sale of personal information, including cell phone location data, by data brokers.”
“DoD has known about this serious threat for over a decade, but has failed to adopt commonsense cyber defenses,” over a dozen congressional members wrote. “DoD has now confirmed to Congress that foreign adversaries are exploiting commercially available location data to target US military personnel in war zones.”
Lawmakers are seeking clarity on what steps the Department of Defense is taking to address potential vulnerabilities.
These concerns align with those previously expressed by military leaders about not just data but cellphone use in general. For instance, Gen. Eric Smith, commandant of the US Marine Corps, previously warned that reckless phone use can lead to troops being located and targeted by enemy forces.
Our adversaries are always watching, waiting to exploit any mistake.
Every text, post, and interaction can place your unit at risk.
What appears harmless can compromise a unit, exposing its position and purpose. #Marines, it’s your responsibility to protect the mission. pic.twitter.com/s2JIRvvami— U.S. Marines (@USMC) March 17, 2025
In a video shared in January 2025, Smith reminded Marines that battlefield cellphone usage could be fatal.
In the video, a Marine escaped enemy fire and sought refuge in an abandoned building. He pulled out his phone and texted for assistance, even sharing his location. As other Marines arrived to rescue him, an enemy strike hit the site, resulting in fatalities. The messages had been intercepted, leaving the troops at risk.
The danger for the US military goes beyond troops accidentally texting their location.
The threat can stem from the same kind of phone-tracking data that follows ordinary users around for advertising purposes. As CENTCOM noted, disabling the geolocation features doesn’t always fully prevent commercial apps and products from exposing data, creating potential problems for troops in combat zones.
Seemingly routine digital trails can become intelligence for adversaries trying to find, watch, or target them.
“The character of war continues to change,” Smith said last year. “The proliferation of technology has made signature management essential on the battlefield.” Another Marine general recently said at an event in DC that on the battlefield, your cellphone “gets you killed.”
Other services and leaders have issued similar warnings.
The war in Ukraine has provided many examples of these unseen challenges and the risks. Russian troops have been targeted via cellphone usage, social media posts, and open-source information and geolocation.
In response, Russia has implemented several bans on cellphone use in combat areas, though these are not consistently followed.
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