The Ease of Tracking Mobile Phones of US Soldiers in Hot Spots

The US government has built robust programs to track terrorists and criminals through warrantless access to commercial data. Many vendors now provide global location information from mobile phones to intelligence, military and law-enforcement organizations. But those same capabilities are available to US adversaries, and the US—having prioritized a free and open internet paid for largely through digital advertising with minimal regulation of privacy—has struggled to effectively monitor what software service members are installing on devices and whether that software is secure. Privacy advocates across the political spectrum are alarmed at government purchases of such data, whether at home or abroad. Sen Ron Wyden (D-OR) was joined by Sen Rand Paul (R-KY) in introducing “The Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act,” a bill Wyden’s team drafted to require the US government to obtain a warrant before accessing commercial data on Americans. The move, which has broad support, would have a ripple effect across the digital advertising ecosystem—which relies heavily on identifying, tracking and profiling consumers. Nevertheless, Sen Wyden said he is also working on separate legislation that would restrict the sale of US data, including mobile phone information, to foreign buyers.