Israeli digital advertising company Discover-Tech allegedly operated a massive global surveillance network using online advertisements to track Internet users and assist in the installation of spyware on targeted devices, according to an investigation by Citizen Lab and the cyber security firm Meows. Researchers found that the company spread advertisements across more than 120,000 websites and 75,000 mobile apps, allowing surveillance companies, including Israeli spyware developer Candiro, to identify users, track their activities and potentially compromise devices without requiring users to click anything. The operation reportedly reached networks associated with sensitive institutions, including NATO, the United Nations and the Pentagon. Following the investigation, Google and several advertising platforms blocked Discover-Tech from accessing their services.

Israeli digital advertising company Discover-Tech allegedly operated a massive global surveillance network using online advertisements to track Internet users and assist in the installation of spyware on targeted devices, according to an investigation by Citizen Lab and the cyber security firm Meows. Researchers found that the company spread advertisements across more than 120,000 websites and 75,000 mobile apps, allowing surveillance companies, including Israeli spyware developer Candiro, to identify users, track their activities and potentially compromise devices without requiring users to click anything. The operation reportedly reached networks associated with sensitive institutions, including NATO, the United Nations and the Pentagon. Following the investigation, Google and several advertising platforms blocked Discover-Tech from accessing their services.