WASHINGTON (CLARKSVILLENOW) — Deployed service members will no longer be able to use “geolocation devices” according to a new memo from Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan.
“Effective immediately, Defense Department personnel are prohibited from using geolocation features and functionality on government and nongovernment-issued devices, applications and services while in locations designated as operational areas,” Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Robert Manning III told Pentagon reporters today.
A release from DoD says the ban includes physical fitness aids, phone apps that track locations, and other devices and apps that pinpoint and track the location of individuals.
Deployed personnel are in “operational areas,” and commanders will make a determination on other areas where this policy may apply.
These devices then store the information and upload it to central servers where it can be shared with third parties. Officials say that information can present enemies with information on military operations.
“The rapidly evolving market of devices, applications and services with geolocation capabilities presents a significant risk to the Department of Defense personnel on and off duty, and to our military operations globally,” Manning said in a statement.
These Global Positioning System capabilities can expose personal information, locations, routines and numbers of DoD personnel. Their use in overseas locations “potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission,” Manning said.
Personal phones and other portable devices also contain apps that rely on GPS technology, and they will be affected. Commanders will be responsible for implementing the policy, and they will be allowed to make exceptions only after conducting a thorough risk assessment.