A Bright Spot Breaking the Silence - The 2000s Iraq War and the Shadow Caused by Foursquare
During the Iraq War, the use of the location-based application "Foursquare" was reportedly behind an incident in which a U.S. Apache attack helicopter was pursued by the enemy. Young soldiers were also using Foursquare at their frontline bases, casually posting their whereabouts to the world. The postings included GPS information, which could have been used by enemy forces to determine the helicopter's departure base and behavior patterns, leading to an ambush attack.
In 2010, the New York Times pointed out the danger of such unintentional postings exposing military secrets, and restrictions on the use of social networking sites were rapidly tightened even within the U.S. military. What is meant to be a lighthearted sharing of information with one's peers can be fatal on the battlefield. A small spot of light in information has illuminated the destination of a steel raptor soaring in the sky. This incident quietly illustrates the reality that in the digital age of warfare, a single post can determine the outcome of a battle.
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