Israeli ad-tech company targets Starlink users worldwide in massive spying operation Researchers at TrendAI have discovered that an Israeli company, Discover-Tech, is heavily targeting users of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet - apparently to geo-locate and monitor them, reports Reuters. Discover-Tech was the #1 bidder on Starlink ad traffic in over 100 countries, including where Starlink is prohibited. It was also the leading ad buyer in Syria, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan. The Method: They abused the ad bidding process to extract data, de-anonymize users and track their movements. TrendAI noted that the pattern indicates "targeting and tracking infrastructure," rather than a commercial operation. The cover-up: TrendAI hid the company's real name as "shadow-79" in its report due to legal concerns. But Citizen and Privileged Labs uploaded them, forcing Google and Comcast to ban them from their ad platforms. Starlink positions itself as a last resort for people in conflict zones. Instead, it became Israel's surveillance network. By exploiting the auction of digital ads, an Israeli company turned a so-called lifeline into a global surveillance system - and the cyber security industry's self-censorship simply made it easier to hide. substack | talk.

Israeli ad-tech company targets Starlink users worldwide in massive spying operation Researchers at TrendAI have discovered that an Israeli company, Discover-Tech, is heavily targeting users of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet - apparently to geo-locate and monitor them, reports Reuters. Discover-Tech was the #1 bidder on Starlink ad traffic in over 100 countries, including where Starlink is prohibited. It was also the leading ad buyer in Syria, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan. The Method: They abused the ad bidding process to extract data, de-anonymize users and track their movements. TrendAI noted that the pattern indicates "targeting and tracking infrastructure," rather than a commercial operation. The cover-up: TrendAI hid the company's real name as "shadow-79" in its report due to legal concerns. But Citizen and Privileged Labs uploaded them, forcing Google and Comcast to ban them from their ad platforms. Starlink positions itself as a last resort for people in conflict zones. Instead, it became Israel's surveillance network. By exploiting the auction of digital ads, an Israeli company turned a so-called lifeline into a global surveillance system - and the cyber security industry's self-censorship simply made it easier to hide. substack | talk.