Security and cyber investigations have revealed that an Israeli advertising company used a wide network of digital ads to track users and target specific individuals, facilitating the installation of spyware on devices. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported that cybersecurity researchers confirmed these ads were not merely a marketing tool, but a means of gathering information and breaching devices.
The German website "Deutsche Welle" cited Canadian company "Citizen Lab" and American company "Conviant," stating that ads from "Discover Tech" reached over 120,000 websites and 75,000 applications. The two companies explained that while some of these ads promoted ordinary products like phones and earphones, others were used to implant spyware developed by the Israeli company "Candiru," which has been on the US Department of Commerce's blacklist since 2021.
Government and Sensitive Networks
Researchers noted that the Israeli company broadcast at least 10 million ads daily worldwide, potentially affecting hundreds of millions of people. These ads appeared within sensitive networks linked to the US Department of Defense "Pentagon," the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Criminal Court. "Citizen Lab" also detected ads among users working at the United Nations, NATO, the European Commission, and more than a dozen governments.
Reports added that the spread of ads was intense in the occupied Palestinian territories, giving the company significant ability to monitor users' digital activity. Researchers explained that users did not need to click on the ad; its mere appearance on a website or application was sometimes sufficient to collect information about the user and their device and track them.
Major Platforms Ban
In a swift reaction, Google announced the ban of "Discover Tech" from its advertising platforms due to systematic violations of its policies. Additionally, the "IAB Europe" association suspended the company's approval from its supplier list, while American telecommunications company "Comcast" removed the company from its advertising platform after detecting associated activities. Israel is globally known for developing malware targeting journalists, activists, and politicians, including the "Pegasus" program, which relies on "zero-click" technology to breach phones without user intervention.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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