Israeli Firm Accused of Spying on Millions Via Online Ads

An Israeli company named Discover-Tech allegedly used online advertisements to spy on hundreds of millions of users, track their activities, and help install spyware on their devices, according to a report by Reuters citing research from Citizen Lab and Confiant. The malicious ads reportedly appeared on over 120,000 websites and in 75,000 applications, including platforms used by the Pentagon, the United Nations, and the European Commission. Users visiting sites or using apps with these ads were exposed to identification and tracking by Discover-Tech. In some instances, the company also attempted to obtain phone numbers from smartphone users. The spyware installation could be triggered simply by loading the ad on a webpage. Separately, spyware linked to another Israeli company, Candiru, was reported to have compromised 45 Al Jazeera devices between 2024 and 2025. In response to the Discover-Tech revelations, Google and Comcast removed the company from their advertising platforms, and IAB Europe suspended its activities.