Observed Signal · May 28, 2026 · Government Disclosure · Source: techcrunch · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Negative
US: Troops Targeted with Location Data; Senator Calls Adtech Threat
The U.S. Department of Defense, via U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), confirmed that hostile actors have used commercially purchased location data to target and surveil serving U.S. military personnel in theater, according to a CENTCOM letter shared with TechCrunch by Sen. Ron Wyden. The letter cites multiple threat reports but provides no specific examples. Reuters first reported the matter. The article notes that location data is frequently collected from phones and computers through online advertising, aggregated by data brokers, and sold on open markets — data that governments and militaries have purchased previously without warrants. Sen. Wyden urged treating the adtech industry as a national security threat. The piece references prior FBI guidance recommending ad blockers to reduce location and tracking exposure.
A government disclosure that adversaries used commercial location data to target servicemembers raises national security concerns and could prompt regulatory scrutiny, legal restrictions on data brokers/adtech practices, and major changes to how location and advertising data are collected and sold.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- U.S. Central Command told Sen. Ron Wyden it has received multiple reports of adversaries exploiting commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel.
- A CENTCOM letter was shared with TechCrunch by Senator Ron Wyden; Reuters first reported the story.
- Location data is commonly collected via phones and computers through online advertising and sold by data brokers on open markets.
- Governments and militaries, including the United States, have previously purchased commercial location data without obtaining warrants; the FBI has previously warned consumers to use ad blockers to limit tracking.
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US military disables ad tracking on troops' devices after targeted attacks
The U.S. Department of Defense has disabled advertising tracking on government-issued devices used by troops across all military branches, following reports that foreign adversaries used commercially available location data to target service members in the Middle East. The move, confirmed in a letter from the military to Senator Ron Wyden, applies to iPhones, Android devices, and Windows computers on the military enterprise network. Disabling the advertising ID makes it harder to identify individuals from location data. Senator Wyden praised the action but warned that personal devices and contractor devices on bases still pose risks. This decision comes amid broader concerns about the sale of location data by data brokers and its use by both hostile governments and U.S. intelligence agencies.
Ad Tech's Data Dependence: A Recipe for Surveillance Risks
An AdExchanger opinion piece argues that the architecture of modern addressable advertising — built on granular identity, location trails and behavioral signals — created structural exposure the industry underestimated. The author cites longtime critics Johnny Ryan (Irish Council for Civil Liberties / Open Markets Institute) and Max Schrems, and research showing real-time bidding (RTB) bidstreams can reveal sensitive movement data, including military personnel. Check My Ads is credited with elevating the issue into congressional hearings, bipartisan investigations and reforms such as the AMERICA Act. The article warns that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is exploring how big data and ad tech tools might support investigations, creating reputational and regulatory tension for companies that depend on this infrastructure. The piece calls for admitting the systemic risks built into ad tech.
FBI Resumes Buying Americans' Location Data, Sparks Outrage
FBI Director Kash Patel told lawmakers the agency has resumed purchasing commercially available data, including Americans’ location histories, from data brokers to support federal investigations. The testimony — the first explicit confirmation since 2023 — said purchases are consistent with the Constitution and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Senators including Ron Wyden criticized agencies buying location data without warrants as undermining Fourth Amendment protections. The article notes data brokers source much of this information from consumer phone apps and that ad‑tech systems such as real‑time bidding (RTB) can be a source for location signals; U.S. Customs and Border Protection previously purchased RTB‑sourced data, according to reporting. Lawmakers have introduced the Government Surveillance Reform Act, a bipartisan bill that would require a court‑authorized warrant before federal agencies buy Americans’ information from data brokers.
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