from the too-corrupt-to-function dept

Israeli spy outfit Discover-Tech spied on internet users through a sprawling network of dodgy online ads ​that it used to track, surveil, and geolocate internet users. In some instances simply having the firm’s “zero click” spyware ads displayed by devices resulted in infection. The company seemed particularly interested in using ads to surveil and geolocate Starlink users, according to a new Reuters report :

“Researchers at TrendAI, a unit of Tokyo-based cybersecurity company Trend Micro (4704.T)

, opens new tab , ‌concluded the Israeli company Discover-Tech was one of the biggest sources of digital ads shown to users of SpaceX’s Starlink service and that the ads were likely being used to geolocate or otherwise surveil them, according to the six people.”

For some reason TrendAI and Trend Micro originally didn’t formally name Discover-Tech; something only disclosed after follow up reports by both Citizen Lab and New York ad security firm Confiant .…