Belgium confirms ban on geolocation apps for military personnel near bases
Belgium has confirmed an existing ban on military personnel using geolocation apps on military sites or near them. A spokesperson for Defence Minister Theo Francken clarified the position following an investigation into the travel app Polarsteps, Anadolu Agency reports.
Polarsteps user data
The Dutch investigative group Follow the Money stated that photos, videos and GPS data of Polarsteps users were easily accessible. According to its data, the group gained access to information on 23 million users, including 904,000 Belgians. The data also included information about military personnel from the Netherlands, France and Belgium.
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Response from defence authorities
Polarsteps stated that the matter concerned data from users who had set their profiles to public mode. At the same time, the company noted that owners of private profiles could also share more information than they realized. Following the investigation, the Dutch Ministry of Defence decided to immediately blacklist the app.
Belgium's defence ministry recalled that military personnel who violate restrictions on the use of geolocation apps are notified of this. Polarsteps allows users to share photos, videos, messages and travel routes with friends and family. Privacy protection issues in the app had also been raised previously.
