Pentagon Uses Controversial Surveillance Firm to Investigate Havana Syndrome Cases

The Pentagon has engaged the services of Anomaly 6, a Virginia-based surveillance firm known for its ability to track smartphone users' movements, in an investigation into the so-called Havana syndrome. This decision comes despite the company's past controversies involving the tracking of U.S. intelligence officers. The contract, worth nearly $6 million and set to run through September, involves Anomaly 6 providing location intelligence expertise to assist the Pentagon’s official Havana syndrome investigatory task force.

Documents obtained by The Intercept via a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that Anomaly 6 will help identify "actors and activities of interest" related to anomalous health incidents. Specifically, the company is expected to produce data visualization products for decision-makers and senior leaders, highlighting geographical distribution, temporal patterns, and interconnectivity of events and actors involved in these incidents.

In a previous incident, Anomaly 6 demonstrated its surveillance capabilities by tracking employees of both the CIA and NSA during a business pitch. The firm's ability to pinpoint the movements of these intelligence officers was showcased as part of an effort to illustrate the vastness and accuracy of their data stores. This demonstration highlighted the advanced capabilities of private sector surveillance brokers, who often rely on smartphone apps and advertisers that indiscriminately share and sell users' location data.

The Pentagon’s decision to hire Anomaly 6 for this investigation is particularly noteworthy given the company's history. In its past marketing efforts, Anomaly 6 boasted about its capacity to track U.S. intelligence officers, raising ethical concerns among privacy advocates and government watchdogs. Despite these controversies, the military sees value in leveraging commercial device tracking technology to investigate Havana syndrome cases.

The Air Force Concepts, Development, and Management Office chose Anomaly 6 for this task without providing a clear rationale for its decision. The firm's expertise in location intelligence is expected to help identify potential foreign actors involved in the alleged attacks that have caused the mysterious symptoms among U.S. personnel. This includes tracking movements of Chinese and Russian military personnel, both countries implicated in hypothetical Havana syndrome schemes.

The contract with Anomaly 6 underscores the Pentagon’s commitment to understanding the origins of Havana syndrome cases through advanced technological means. However, it also raises questions about privacy rights and ethical implications surrounding the use of such surveillance tools on U.S. citizens and government employees.