US Military Takes Steps to Disable Advertising Trackers on Troops' Devices
The US military has taken steps to disable advertising trackers on various devices used by troops to prevent the potential tracking and targeting of American forces deployed overseas. The Air Force, Army, and US Special Operations Command have confirmed these measures in response to concerns raised by Senator Ron Wyden and Reuters. The disabling of advertising identifiers on computers and mobile phones aims to address the risks associated with commercially available location data that could be exploited by adversaries to track military personnel.
The Air Force disclosed to Senator Wyden that it had disabled advertising identifiers on computers and mobile phones approximately two months ago, while US Special Operations Command recently implemented similar measures on Windows devices. The Army also confirmed that advertising IDs linked to mobile devices had been disabled earlier this year. These actions were prompted by the growing concerns over the commercial location-data industry, where data collected from mobile devices can be aggregated and sold to data brokers, potentially compromising the security of deployed troops.
The use of mobile advertising IDs, or MAIDs, allows companies to track user activity across mobile applications and determine the physical location of a device user. The Army reported that advertising IDs had been blocked on Windows computers since before 2021 and disabled by default on Android and Apple mobile devices since at least February 2026. The Navy also informed Senator Wyden that advertising IDs had been disabled on military devices, although specific details on the timing of these restrictions were not provided.
While the disabling of advertising identifiers is seen as a positive step to prevent the unauthorized tracking of military personnel, experts caution that it may not eliminate all potential means of tracking a device. Additional technical information, such as network and location data, could still be used to identify individuals. As a result, the US military is considering broader restrictions on mobile-phone use among deployed personnel to mitigate the risks associated with sensitive location information being exposed.
The recent measures underscore the US military's growing concern that smartphones could inadvertently reveal sensitive location data, posing security risks for personnel operating in conflict zones. The potential exploitation of commercial advertising data to track military movements has prompted the implementation of safeguards to protect the privacy and security of deployed troops. By disabling advertising trackers and exploring further restrictions on mobile-phone use, the military aims to enhance operational security and safeguard the well-being of its personnel.