US military disables advertising trackers on service members' devices

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden on Friday released a series of letters that confirm the Department of Defense has disabled advertising‑tracking software on a range of smartphones and computers used by service members. The action follows investigative reports that commercially available location‑data services were being exploited to pinpoint the movements of American troops deployed in the Middle East. In statements to Reuters, military officials said the trackers, which collect geolocation information for targeted advertising, were identified as a potential security risk and have now been turned off across affected devices.

The move comes amid growing scrutiny of how third‑party data brokers aggregate and sell location information that can be accessed by foreign actors. By removing the advertising trackers, the Pentagon aims to mitigate the risk that adversaries could use such data to monitor or target U.S. forces. The letters released by Senator Wyden detail the steps taken and underscore ongoing efforts to safeguard operational security in an increasingly data‑driven environment.