The US military has disabled advertising identifiers on a range of government-operated phones and computers following reports that commercially available location data was being used to monitor and potentially target American forces in the Middle East, Reuters reported.
Mobile advertising IDs, commonly known as MAIDs, are unique identifiers assigned to devices.
Apps and advertising companies use them to track user activity, which can include physical location.
Data brokers can then collect and sell that information.
The US Air Force Special Operations Command and the US Navy confirmed that they have disabled advertising identifiers across their computer and mobile systems.
Reuters reported that the army said it had blocked advertising identifiers on its Windows computers before 2021.
The restrictions were extended by default to Android and Apple devices by February 2026, when the US-Israeli war with Iran began.
According to a privacy and technology expert cited by the news agency, the restrictions should prevent the locations of military devices from appearing in bulk commercial datasets.
Personnel could still be tracked by combining information collected through apps with mobile-network and device data.
Concerns Over Military Data.
The restrictions follow several reports showing that military personnel continue to expose their sensitive data through personal devices and online activity.
In August, a Stars and Stripes review found publicly accessible Strava workout app records linked to US bases across the Middle East.
The data could reveal frequently used routes, daily routines, and locations where personnel gather.
A month earlier, reports indicated that US military officials were considering tighter restrictions on personal phone use among deployed forces.
Proposed measures included requiring some personnel to surrender their devices.
Discussions followed warnings that publicly shared photographs and videos could help Iran evaluate the accuracy and impact of its missile and drone attacks on US bases.
