Alleged Israeli spy company heavily targeted Starlink users, sources say
TrendAI researchers concluded that Israeli ad tech company Discover-Tech was one of the biggest sources of ads shown to Starlink users and the No. 1 bidder on Starlink traffic in more than 100 countries. Six people familiar with the matter said researchers believed the ads were likely used to geolocate or surveil users.
1. Targeting Starlink users
Researchers at TrendAI, a unit of cybersecurity company Trend Micro, found Discover-Tech was among the leading bidders for ads aimed at Starlink users and ranked first for Starlink traffic in more than 100 countries, including some where the service is banned or restricted. Six people familiar with the matter said the researchers believed the ads were likely being used to geolocate or otherwise surveil users.
2. Broader allegations
TrendAI's October 15 report did not name Discover-Tech, referring to the entity as “Shadow-Earth-79.” The same day, Citizen Lab and ad tech firm Confiant identified Discover-Tech and said it abused the ad bidding process, which can expose internet users' data to bidders. Google, Comcast and other companies said they had removed Discover-Tech from their ad platforms.
3. Scrutiny and context
TrendAI's report said the entity was the top ad buyer in Syria, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan, and the second-largest in Afghanistan. At least one large U.S. technology company and one international organization have launched internal inquiries into whether the ads targeted their employees, people familiar with the matter said. SpaceX and Discover-Tech did not respond to requests for comment.
