Pentagon restricts use of geolocation software for troops

The Pentagon made public a memo issued last week which said the geolocation capabilities presented a 'significant risk'.

The US military is prohibiting its deployed personnel from using geolocation features on smartphones, fitness trackers and other devices because they could create security risks by revealing their location, the Pentagon said.

The decision follows concerns raised in January when an Australian researcher's analysis of data posted by Strava, a fitness tracking app, on activities of its users revealed locations of American forces in Syria and Iraq.