Danish authorities order officials to disable Bluetooth amid surveillance concerns

Danish authorities have ordered civil servants, police officers and military personnel to disable Bluetooth functions on all electronic devices, including personal equipment, citing concerns over foreign surveillance and vulnerabilities in wireless technology.

The nationwide advisory was issued by the Danish Defence Intelligence Service and echoed by the Information Technology Department of the Danish National Police. It applies to officials operating across Denmark and Greenland, according to intelligence notices and media reports.

In a statement circulated internally, the Danish National Police’s IT department said staff should disable Bluetooth on mobile phones, tablets, computers and similar devices during work conditions. The instruction applies regardless of whether the device is official or privately owned.

“The Corporate IT company recommends that police officers disable Bluetooth on mobile phones, tablets, computers and similar devices in working conditions — regardless of whether they are official or personal — until the Corporate IT company announces the opposite,” the statement said.

According to reporting by Ingeniøren, the guidance was distributed uniformly across government sectors. It covers all Bluetooth-enabled hardware, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and wireless accessories used in professional environments.

Authorities said the measure reflects ongoing assessments of wireless security risks. Intelligence officials warned that Bluetooth technology contains known weaknesses that could be exploited by hostile actors operating nearby.

The Danish Defence Intelligence Service highlighted vulnerabilities that may allow unauthorised access to devices without user interaction. These include exploits enabling attackers to intercept data streams or gain partial control of devices without traditional pairing.

One such example referenced in security briefings is BlueBorne, a class of Bluetooth vulnerabilities disclosed in recent years. These flaws allow attackers within range to compromise devices silently if Bluetooth remains enabled.

Officials also acknowledged previous detections of Bluetooth accessory vulnerabilities linked to Google’s Fast Pair feature. This proprietary system is designed to simplify pairing but has faced scrutiny over potential security gaps.

Media coverage by Ingeniøren described the advisory’s immediate operational impact. Commonly used accessories such as wireless headsets, Apple AirPods and Bluetooth keyboards are now prohibited during working hours unless Bluetooth is fully disabled.

Radar.dk separately reported on concerns involving the Airoha Bluetooth audio software development kit. According to commentary cited by the outlet, flaws could allow certain audio devices to pair without explicit user approval.

Experts quoted by the media warned that compromised headsets could potentially function as covert listening devices. They added that disabling Bluetooth on smartphones alone may be insufficient if accessories remain powered on.

As a result, some specialists advised officials to turn off wireless accessories entirely or remove them from secure environments. This guidance goes beyond standard consumer security recommendations.

Not all reactions within Denmark’s security community were unequivocal. A police source quoted by Danish media cautioned against issuing broad recommendations without concrete evidence of specific incidents.

“Otherwise that’s how panic occurs,” the source said, while acknowledging that intelligence assessments often rely on classified threat indicators that cannot be disclosed publicly.

The advisory comes amid renewed geopolitical attention on Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory with strategic importance in the Arctic. The region hosts critical infrastructure and is increasingly central to great power competition.

In December 2025, former U.S. President Donald Trump revisited earlier remarks about Greenland’s sovereignty. He stated publicly that the territory would not be secure unless under U.S. control, reviving tensions first seen in 2019.

Danish authorities have not formally linked the Bluetooth directive to those comments. However, Ingeniøren reported that the warning was issued during what it described as an “extremely tense situation” surrounding Greenland.

Separately, British media have reported unease within NATO intelligence circles. Unnamed officials said alliance partners were becoming more guarded in communications amid tensions between the United States and European allies over Greenland.

One British outlet quoted a “senior NATO insider” as saying European and Canadian officials were “not talking openly” with U.S. counterparts. The concerns reportedly centre on sensitive information potentially reaching President Trump.

At the same time, U.S. media reported that the White House had ordered the Pentagon to scale back participation in certain NATO structures. European and Canadian officials reportedly view this as signalling a reduced U.S. military footprint in Europe.

Danish authorities have not commented publicly on NATO-related reporting. No official link has been drawn between alliance dynamics and the domestic Bluetooth restrictions.

Officials said the security posture remains precautionary rather than reactive. The advisory will remain in force until further notice, while intelligence agencies continue to assess potential surveillance threats targeting Denmark and its territories.