The U.S. Department of Defense has disabled advertising identifiers on government-issued phones and computers across the military to prevent foreign adversaries from tracking service members using commercial data. According to letters released by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and statements provided to Reuters, the security measures affect devices managed by the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and U.S. Special Operations Command.
The disclosures follow mounting national security concerns regarding the commercial data trade. Mobile advertising IDs, commonly known as MAIDs, are unique strings assigned to devices that allow app activity to be linked to a specific physical location. Data brokers collect and resell this information, creating a vulnerability that lawmakers say hostile actors can exploit.
Military Branches Implement Device Restrictions
Each military branch has rolled out restrictions at different times across iPhones, Android devices, and Windows computers. According to the Army, advertising IDs tied to mobile devices have been blocked by default since at least February 2026, while Windows computers have had the identifiers blocked since before 2021. The Air Force disabled advertising identifiers on both computers and mobile phones in July, and U.S. Special Operations Command recently applied the restriction to its Windows equipment.
The Navy also confirmed it disabled advertising IDs on military hardware, though specific implementation timelines remain undisclosed, and messages seeking comment went unreturned, according to Reuters reporting. The adjustments block commercial entities from tying government-network traffic to individual device profiles, blunting a key surveillance vector used in war zones.
Ongoing Vulnerabilities in Personal Devices
Despite hardening official hardware, security experts warn that significant surveillance risks remain. According to statements from Sen. Wyden and U.S. Representative Pat Harrigan, personal smartphones carried by service members and government contractors still generate location data that reaches commercial brokers. Personnel frequently carry these privately owned devices onto military facilities.
Zach Edwards, co-founder of privacy ad-tech company Decryptads, called disabling MAIDs on military equipment a positive step that ensures government gear is kept out of bulk data sales. However, Edwards cautioned that personnel might still be tracked through applications by triangulating technical device details, network data, and application location information.
Investigations and Broader Pentagon Scrutiny
Lawmakers are pressing for deeper accountability regarding the commercial data market. Wyden and Harrigan sent a letter to the Pentagon asking the Department of Defense inspector general to investigate how military-linked location information remains available for purchase. The lawmakers also want the review to examine commercial location data already acquired by the Defense Department and other government agencies.
“U.S. enemies should not be able to pull out a credit card and buy information that helps them track American troops,” Harrigan said. Wyden added that current military efforts have proven ineffective at neutralizing the broader threat.
The data broker crackdown coincides with stricter rules governing phone usage in active operational areas. In July, reports indicated that deployed personnel in the Middle East could face orders to surrender personal phones due to concerns that social media videos were aiding Iranian targeting of American bases.