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An investigation by WIRED, Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), and Netzpolitik.org has revealed that data legally collected by US advertisers and brokers can be purchased by foreign governments and terrorist organizations, enabling them to monitor the daily movements of US military and intelligence personnel abroad.
The joint investigation involved analyzing billions of location coordinates obtained from US-based data brokers, uncovering sensitive security information such as entry points, training routines , and guard schedules. The findings underscore the significant risks to U.S. service members and national security by the unregulated sale of mobile location data.
How Mobile Data Exposes Location
The mobile advertising industry relies on unique identifiers to deliver personalized ads to smartphones. These identifiers allow companies to track user behavior and optimize ad targeting .
Mobile advertising IDs can expose sensitive information, particularly when paired with precise geolocation data. Data brokers collect this information, including location details, then analyze, repackage, and sell it. While data may appear harmless, it becomes a national security threat when it reveals sensitive details about service members.
How is the US Government Handling the Threat of Commercial Data Sales?
The risks posed by commercial data to US national security have been evident since 2016, when government contractor and technologist Mike Yeagley, delivered a striking demonstration to senior military officials. He revealed access to sensitive data, prompting officials to ask whether it was obtained through hacking or espionage. Yeagley’s response was stark, “I didn’t hack, intercept, or engineer this data. I bought it.”
However, the U.S. government has a well-known reputation for responding slowly to emerging technologies and their associated threats.
Congress has struggled for years to advance privacy regulation legislation. The American Privacy Rights Act stalled in June, while the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act passed the House Judiciary Committee but awaits approval from the Senate and President. Although the act would not ban the sale of all commercial location data, it would prevent the US government from purchasing data on Americans that would otherwise require a warrant to obtain.
The FTC is also taking action, with plans to file multiple lawsuits to formally designate US military installations as protected sites.
Sitting Tight, For Now
Some officials within the Pentagon argue that collecting data capable of exposing military secrets is inevitable due to the overlap between service members personal device usage and their military roles. Acknowledging the risks posed by geolocation services, the Pentagon advises service members to remain vigilant and adhere strictly to security protocols.