Apps targeted at US troops contain Chinese and Russian code
Summary
A study found that over one in eight mobile apps aimed at US military personnel contain software from companies in China, Russia, or other foreign countries. These apps collect location and personal data, potentially exposing sensitive military information to foreign governments. US officials have confirmed that adversaries may be using such commercial data to track or surveil troops in active conflict zones.Key Facts
- Researchers reviewed more than 220 apps made for US military members, covering many uses like uniform guides and banking.
- About 64% of these apps included third-party software components that can track user behavior and share data with outside companies.
- 40% of the apps shared or collected more data than they publicly disclosed.
- Code from 76 different sources was found, including companies from China, Russia, Israel, India, and Germany.
- Roughly 7% of apps contained code from countries the Pentagon sees as adversaries.
- Twelve apps included Huawei software, a Chinese company flagged by US regulators for national security risks.
- Some apps were built for state National Guard use but appeared to send no data directly to Huawei.
- The Pentagon confirmed that enemy forces may use location data from commercial apps to monitor US troops, especially in conflict areas like the Middle East.
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