Overview
- A cross-border team analyzed two datasets with 278 million location pings from Belgium, linking 264 devices to the European Commission’s Berlaymont and 543 to NATO headquarters.
- Reporters re-identified at least five people tied to EU institutions, including senior figures, and two confirmed the data matched their movements.
- Journalists obtained the granular histories by posing as marketers and buying app-derived records that brokers advertise as anonymous.
- The European Commission issued fresh guidance on ad-tracking settings and alerted other Union entities and national CSIRTs, while NATO said it is mitigating third‑party data risks.
- Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has suspended one broker and is probing others, as MEPs demand stronger enforcement or new rules treating the trade as a security concern.