BY JACK CORRIGAN
The device-agnostic policy applies to smartphones, tablets, fitness trackers, smartwatches as well as all other applications with geolocation features. The Defense Department on Mon issued an fellowship barring all personnel from using geolocation services on their personal as well as government-issued devices inwards all “operational areas.” The policy, which applies to smartphones, tablets, fitness trackers, smartwatches as well as all other applications with geolocation features, goes into effect immediately. “The apace evolving marketplace of devices, applications, as well as services with geolocation capabilities … presents pregnant conduct chances to Department of Defense personnel both on- as well as off-duty, as well as to our armed forces operations globally,” Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan wrote Fri inwards a memo to top Pentagon brass. “These geolocation capabilities tin expose personal information, locations, routines as well as numbers of DoD personnel,” he said, which tin exercise “unintended safety consequences as well as increased conduct chances to the articulation forcefulness as well as mission.”
Under the novel measure, combatant commanders inwards operational areas tin brand exceptions for for certain government-issued devices based on “mission necessity.” They tin likewise permit the utilization of geolocation services on personal devices afterward conducting a comprehensive operations safety survey.
The Pentagon defines an operational surface area equally “a location where armed forces are operating for the purposes of a specific mission,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Audricia Harris told Nextgov. Overseas armed forces outposts, such equally those used inwards the stimulate out against ISIS, would autumn nether this umbrella, she said, but the Pentagon edifice would not.
Though the fellowship doesn’t block geolocation services inwards non-operational areas, it requires officials to assess the risks of those features for on- as well as off-duty personnel as well as number “rational” restrictions when they pose a threat to employees or operations.
“The destination of this policy is to focus to a greater extent than on the features instead of the devices,” Harris said, noting geolocation services are becoming nearly ubiquitous equally to a greater extent than products connect to the internet. “Next matter yous know in that location mightiness live on contact [lenses] with the same capability, as well as hence nosotros desire to focus on the characteristic as well as non the actual medium.
The mensurate comes equally the Pentagon’s latest crackdown on the utilization of electronic devices at subdivision facilities.
In May, Shanahan issued a sweeping ban on personal as well as government-issued mobile devices inwards classified areas of the Pentagon, citing concerns over potential leaks of classified information. The ban doesn’t encompass devices with negligible storage as well as transmission capabilities, similar telephone substitution fobs.
The Pentagon began reconsidering its mobile electronics policies afterward the fitness-tracking app Strava compiled user location information inwards a global oestrus map as well as inadvertently revealed the locations of multiple overseas armed forces bases. The information dump likewise publicized the identities as well as locations of international aid workers, tidings operatives as well as armed forces personnel, raising safety concerns alongside authorities officials.
“We’re ever aware of the apace changing technological environs as well as hence we’re ever looking at our policies to brand for certain they’re up-to-date as well as that they teach out along to protect the integrity of our mission as well as our personnel,” Harris said.
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