US Troops at Risk of Being Targeted Using Phone Location Data, Pentagon Says

US Troops at Risk of Being Targeted Using Phone Location Data, Pentagon Says U.S. Central Command has warned lawmakers that U.S. military personnel in the Middle East are vulnerable to surveillance and targeting through their smartphones’ geolocation data. This threat report was shared following a period of direct combat between the U.S. and Iran, which concluded with a fragile ceasefire. During these hostilities, several U.S. military personnel were killed and hundreds more were injured.

• U.S. military personnel in the Middle East are at risk of being surveilled and targeted using smartphone geolocation data.
• U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported receiving multiple threat reports about adversaries exploiting commercial location data.
• The disclosure was made to Sen. Ron Wyden following a period of direct combat between the U.S. and Iran.
• The hostilities resulted in 13 U.S. military personnel deaths and hundreds of injuries.