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Pentagon Restricts Use of Fitness Trackers, Other Devices (apnews.com)
Military troops and other defense personnel at sensitive bases or certain high-risk warzone areas won't be allowed to use fitness tracker or cellphone applications that can reveal their location, according to a new Pentagon order. From a report: The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, stops short of banning the fitness trackers or other electronic devices, which are often linked to cellphone applications or smart watches and can provide the users' GPS and exercise details to social media. It says the applications on personal or government-issued devices present a "significant risk" to military personnel so those capabilities must be turned off in certain operational areas. Under the new order, military leaders will be able to determine whether troops under their command can use the GPS function on their devices, based on the security threat in that area or on that base. "These geolocation capabilities can expose personal information, locations, routines, and numbers of DOD personnel, and potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission," the memo said. Zack Whittaker, a security reporter at TechCrunch, said, DoD's statement today appears to be a response to the revelation that fitness tracker app Polar was exposing locations of spies and military personnel.
I understand fitness trackers (app and/or device) are too happy to share your location with friends and strangers. However, Google Maps probably uses your data for some function of Google Maps. I know it can record where your workplace is and where you last parked your car. So, why do Pentagon workers are allowed to bring mobile phones is my guess.
Except these bases are typically in remote areas where the only fitness tracker activity is from military personnel.