European Probe Reports Sale of Location Data to Sensitive Sites

(MENAFN) A recent investigation conducted by several European media organizations has uncovered that hundreds of millions of location data points from mobile devices in Belgium — including those used by personnel from EU institutions, NATO headquarters, and military installations — are being traded by data brokers.

The collaborative inquiry, carried out by media outlets revealed that many smartphone apps that gather users’ location information permit brokers to resell this data, even though it is officially described as “anonymous.”

The findings demonstrated that such data enables the precise tracking of individuals’ daily movements, identifying their residences, offices, and regular destinations.

This creates potential security threats, particularly for people working in sensitive or high-security environments.

According to the report, mobile signals were detected within major infrastructure zones such as the Doel and Tihange nuclear facilities, high-security prisons, NATO’s Brussels headquarters, and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons.

The data also showed phone activity at various Belgian military bases, including Kleine-Brogel — believed to host U.S. nuclear weapons.

A NATO representative informed a Belgian newspaper that the alliance is “fully aware of the general risks that third-party data collection poses” and has “implemented measures to mitigate these risks,” though no further details were shared.

Nonetheless, the investigation found that over 1,000 mobile devices were identified within NATO compounds, highlighting the continuing vulnerability of such sites.

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