The modern battlefield is no longer limited to conventional weapons, but is shaped by the global surveillance economy. According to investigations cited by the American media Newsmax, as well as detailed reports on The Financial Times (FT) and agency Reuters, Iran and related cyber groups are successfully using commercial digital advertising (adtech) databases and vulnerabilities in telecommunications infrastructure to precisely track the location of US troops and contractors in the Middle East.
The advertising identifier as a weapon
The problem lies in the passive data that every smartphone constantly transmits through common weather, fitness or gaming apps. Digital ad networks collect this data through the process of automated real-time bidding (RTB). According to cybersecurity experts cited by WION and the research project Mobile Surveillance Monitor, ad brokers sell arrays of location history in huge volumes. Virtually any entity with a credit card and access to these platforms can filter the coordinates of devices located near sensitive military bases.
Through this method, Iranian intelligence has been able to identify specific hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan and other areas in the Persian Gulf where American government officials are staying, without ever having to directly hack their phones. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden has openly called on Washington to begin treating the adtech industry as a direct threat to national security.
A Double Attack: Advertising Spying and Cellular "Pings"
Tehran's intelligence campaign was particularly intense in the weeks leading up to the joint US-Israeli military strikes on Iran in late February 2026, and continued during the subsequent Iranian responses with missiles and drones against American facilities.
In addition to buying commercial advertising data, Iran has also exploited the outdated telecommunications protocol SS7 (Signalling System No. 7) through regional mobile operators. By sending millions of fake location requests ("pings"), Iranian operators have detected which cells American devices are connecting to while roaming. Combining this data with advertising identifiers has allowed Tehran to compile a detailed map of the movements and daily habits of American personnel.
Military considers confiscating phones
The situation is further complicated by the fact that military personnel themselves facilitate the enemy. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that it has received multiple reports of threats related to the exploitation of commercial location data. Therefore, the American commander Admiral Brad Cooper sent an official warning to the units in the region, noting that the videos and photos shared by the soldiers on social networks help Iran in real time to assess the damage from its strikes (Battle Damage Assessment) and adjust its sights for subsequent waves of attacks.
В отговор на заплахата, CENTCOM вече въведе електронни контрамерки, а източници на Fox News и The Jerusalem Post съобщават, че в бази в Йордания на част от личния състав вече е разпоредено да предадат личните си мобилни устройства, като пълната забрана за смартфони в зони на активен конфликт остава на дневен ред в Пентагона.