Izraelska tvrtka koristila je online oglase za vođenje špijunskih operacija protiv 'stotina milijuna ljudi'

An Israeli digital advertising agency, Discover-Tech, has been linked to a widespread surveillance operation that reportedly targeted hundreds of millions of people worldwide. According to research by Canadian cybersecurity group Citizen Lab and U.S.-based advertising security firm Confiant, the company’s online ads were used to track users and facilitate the deployment of spyware developed by Candiru, an Israeli firm blacklisted by the U.S. government. The ads, often placed on everyday products like phones and earbuds, reached over 120,000 websites and 75,000 mobile applications through multiple partnerships. The findings indicate that Discover-Tech’s ads were embedded in networks associated with numerous high-profile organizations, including the Pentagon, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations. They also appeared in networks connected to NATO, the European Commission, and more than a dozen national governments. In the Palestinian territories, the company’s ads were particularly pervasive, with nearly every website displaying a Discover-Tech advertisement, giving the firm extensive visibility into digital activity across the region. Researchers noted that the ads could identify users simply by loading on a website, enabling tracking and, in some cases, the extraction of phone numbers from smartphones. Certain ads were specifically designed to deploy Candiru spyware onto users’ devices. While Confiant stated that these specific ads represented only a small portion of Discover-Tech’s total output, the scale of the firm’s operations suggests a massive potential reach. Citizen Lab confirmed that a variant of Candiru spyware distributed through Discover-Tech’s ads compromised 45 Windows computers at Qatar’s Al Jazeera between 2024 and 2025. This information was verified through network logs shared by the media organization. Al Jazeera condemned the attacks and affirmed it was taking measures to safeguard its employees and infrastructure, urging accountability for those responsible. Google announced it had removed Discover-Tech from its ad platforms following an investigation conducted alongside Citizen Lab and Confiant, citing systematic violations of its policies. IAB Europe, the European association representing the digital advertising industry, suspended Discover-Tech from its list of approved entities after identifying policy breaches during an audit. Discover-Tech, established in 2020, has not publicly responded to inquiries. Efforts to contact its CEO, Dekel Boni, and Candiru’s owners went unanswered. Candiru was blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department in 2021 for alleged involvement in targeting government officials, journalists, activists, and academics with spyware. The revelations highlight the dual role of online advertising platforms in both commercial and covert operations, raising serious questions about digital privacy and security. The impact of this surveillance campaign continues to unfold as investigations progress and regulatory actions take shape.