While reports have detailed how Iran used Russian intelligence, including satellite imagery, to identify US troops, ships and aircraft, Bellingcat found that publicly available mapping platforms also reveal detailed and potentially sensitive information about US military bases in the Middle East.
Google Maps and other online mapping services contain dozens of labels identifying facilities including headquarters, accommodation, gyms and fuel points. Publicly available photographs and videos, including material published by the US military, provide further details about how these facilities are used.
This isn’t just about whether imagery is blurred—it might be on some platforms, on others it might not be. It’s also about whether the imagery (or map layer) is labelled.
Previously: Polar Flow User Data Can Be Used to Identify Military and Intelligence Personnel.