March 5, 2026
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The Government Uses Targeted Advertising to Track Your Location
Creepy ads are snitching—feds piggyback, and commenters roast our phone addiction
TLDR: Documents show CBP used ad-targeting data to track phones without warrants. Comments split between “throw away your smartphone,” deep distrust of government, and pleas for practical privacy options—agreeing the ad-surveillance economy needs real limits and laws because the system built to sell us stuff is now used to watch us.
The internet lost it after new docs revealed that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tapped the same tech that serves you creepy targeted ads to track phones. The bombshell? CBP acknowledged it uses data from ad auctions called real-time bidding (RTB)—a split‑second auction that decides which ad you see—and from SDKs (little plug‑ins inside apps) to follow your location. Cue the comments turning into a reality show. One camp went full minimalist: ditch the smartphone, touch grass, use a “real computer” later. Others clapped back: that’s not realistic if you, you know, have a job, kids, or need maps. The vibe: a meme storm of “ads are ankle monitors” and RTB = “Really Tracking Basically everyone.”
Title purists chimed in to note the article promises fixes—then got drowned out by cynicism. The “never trust government” crowd said the money trail and post‑politics paydays make this inevitable. Practical types asked if a “privacy carrier” exists (spoiler: cell towers still see you), while infosec folks pointed to spyware operators and ad networks fueling drive‑by hacks, linking to Amnesty’s Security Lab. Meanwhile, privacy nerds waved the EFF and 404 Media pieces like receipts and demanded lawmakers finally put rules on ad‑surveillance and those phone “ad IDs” that track you. The comments? A chaotic chorus of panic, jokes, and hard reality: the ad machine isn’t just selling shoes—it’s selling you.
Key Points
- •A CBP document obtained by 404 Media confirms the agency used location data from the online ad ecosystem to track phones.
- •CBP’s program drew on real-time bidding (RTB) and app SDKs, with RTB-sourced location data recorded when ads are served.
- •ICE, CBP, and the FBI purchased location data from data broker Venntell; ICE also acquired the Webloc tool.
- •Webloc can aggregate and search phone location data by area and time and filter by Apple and Google advertising IDs.
- •Although the document covers a 2019–2021 pilot, agencies continue to obtain commercially sourced location data, with ICE seeking additional ad-tech tools.