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

The U.S. military issued its highest force protection alert on Feb. 28, as U.S. forces entered combat with Iran.

Soldiers of the United States Army perform combat exercises with 120mm mortar rounds at Fort Benning, Georgia, on April 9, 2026. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

U.S. military personnel in the Middle East are at risk of being surveilled and targeted through the geolocation data on their smartphones, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) recently notified lawmakers.

“USCENTCOM has received multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater,” CENTCOM stated in a letter it shared with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on April 14, which Reuters first reported on May 28.