Here’s Why Starlink Internet May Not Launch in Pakistan

An Israeli digital advertising firm is aggressively focusing on users of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service in over 100 countries, according to Reuters. TrendAI researchers identified Discover-Tech as one of the leading bidders for ads shown to Starlink users, with the company topping the list in more than 100 nations.

A tech expert suggested this could be a major factor as to why Starlink internet hasn't been launched in Pakistan. Similar digital advertising networks might have been abused to gather technical data, identify users, and pinpoint their locations. Investigations by TrendAI, Citizen Lab, and advertising security firm Confiant revealed that information disclosed via online ad auctions can be harvested and linked to track individuals across various websites and applications.

This issue was particularly worrisome in countries where Starlink is prohibited or limited, as well as conflict-affected areas like Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Sudan. Another investigation traced Discover-Tech's ad network back to surveillance activities and the possible distribution of spyware without needing user interaction with malicious ads.

Following the probes, Google, Comcast, and other firms removed Discover-Tech from their ad platforms. The report "Here’s Why Starlink Internet May Not Launch in Pakistan" initially appeared on ProPakistani.