Because of the critical nature of the intelligence officers’ work, the enforced use of this app and its data-sharing capabilities had the potential to put troops in immediate danger. A closer review of the app’s data policies, however, revealed the capability to harvest extensive personal information about the user and share it with a developer that had a presence overseas.

soldiers in an intelligence unit with top-secret clearances revealed to The Washington Post that they had been asked by a commanding officer to download a new app developed for the unit for the purpose of communicating weather and training updates. There have been other examples where seemingly innocuous applications have had potentially serious security and privacy implications when used by military personnel. Or worse, using WhatsApp to coordinate details of the exit with other members of the military could put those details in the hands of enemy combatants, putting American lives at risk. Simply by sending a text to a family member, a soldier, for example, could inadvertently reveal information that could result in the identification of a secret operating base to a hostile adversary. Without the ability to confidentially communicate and collaborate, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, space professionals, and defense civilians and contractors are at risk of leaking critical information that could impact a safe exit from Iraq and Afghanistan. military leveraging insecure communications tools to transmit operationally sensitive information. forces is a perfect illustration of the growing concern about active U.S. In fact, this critical transition for U.S. The proliferation of consumer-grade communications applications like WhatsApp has given rise to widespread, unsanctioned use throughout the military community-a practice that puts operations at risk of interference in an era of great power competition.

As American forces now consider how to quickly-yet safely-exit these regions, there’s one security vulnerability that requires close scrutiny: WhatsApp. After nearly two decades on the ground, President Trump’s recent decision to withdraw 2,500 troops from Iraq and Afghanistan by mid-January has shaken the defense community.

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