Marine Corps members can’t use crypto mining apps

The U.S. Marine Corps said in a memo published Tuesday that it is prohibiting the use of government-issued mobile devices for a range of digital applications and activities, including apps focused on mining cryptocurrencies.

The memo, first reported by CoinDesk, was directed at “all users in possession of government-furnished equipment (GFE) mobile devices regarding the need to be cognizant of applications downloaded and residing on these mobile devices.”

It lists a range of apps that are banned from such mobile devices, including gaming and dating apps. It additional cites “Bitcoin/Cryptocurrency Mining Tool” as one type of banned app.

It’s not clear what prompted the inclusion of mining apps on the prohibition list, and the memo makes no reference to any examples of Marine Corps members using their government-issued phones for this purpose. 

The memo noted that “[c]ommercial mobile applications are critical enablers for the Marine Corps and provide new opportunities to improve mission effectiveness” and that “the collection, use, and disposition of information for account creation or made available through mobile applications…is a privacy and security concern.”

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