Belgium underlines ban on military personnel using geolocation apps near bases

Belgium underlined its ban on military personnel from using geolocation apps on or near military facilities following an investigation into a travel app that exposed user location data, the Belga News Agency reported Tuesday.

The clarification from the spokesperson for Defense Minister Theo Francken came after Dutch investigative group Follow the Money found that photos, videos, and GPS data from users of the Polarsteps app were readily accessible.

Follow the Money said it accessed data belonging to 23 million users, including 904,000 Belgians.

Data from Dutch, French, and Belgian military personnel were also among the information obtained.

Polarsteps said the data belonged to users who had set their profiles to public.

However, users with private profiles also shared more information than they may have realized, according to the company.

Following the investigation, the Dutch Defense Ministry has decided to immediately blacklist the app.

In Belgium, the use of geolocation apps by military personnel is generally prohibited on or near military facilities, said Francken’s spokesperson.

Personnel who violate the rule are made aware of the issue.

Polarsteps allows users to share photos, videos, messages, and travel routes with friends and family.

Concerns over the app’s privacy protections had previously been raised.