{
  "id": 14888133,
  "title": "Israeli company used online ads to run spy operation against 'hundreds of millions of people'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/israeli-company-used-online-ads-to-run-spy-operation-against-hundreds-14888133",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-16T06:10:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/16/israeli-company-used-online-ads-to-run-spy-operation-against-hundreds-of-millions-of-people/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Israeli digital advertising agency Discover-Tech engaged in a massive spy operation, targeting hundreds of millions of internet users through a network of deceptive online advertisements. The research groups Citizen Lab and Confiant uncovered that Discover-Tech provided services to Candiru, an Israeli spyware company sanctioned by the US government, along with other Israeli surveillance organizations. These illicit ads were displayed on more than 120,000 websites and 75,000 apps, reaching a vast audience. By loading on websites, these ads could identify and track users, sometimes extracting their phone numbers. Some ads were even used to install Candiru's spyware onto devices. Confiant co-founder Jerome Dangu estimated that Discover-Tech issued at least 10 million ads daily, with data-sharing arrangements enabling it to track people beyond the reach of its ads. The spyware deployed via Discover-Tech's ads compromised 45 Windows devices at Qatar's Al Jazeera between 2024 and 2025. Al Jazeera condemned these attacks and emphasized the need for accountability. The malicious ads were shown to users in sensitive networks, including those of the Pentagon, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Criminal Court. They also infiltrated the digital realms of the UN, NATO, the European Commission, and numerous national governments. Discover-Tech's ads were prevalent in regions like the Palestinian territories, where they provided extensive visibility into the digital activities of the entire country. Google and IAB Europe took action against Discover-Tech, suspending it from their ad platforms following policy violations.",
  "summary": "Israeli digital advertising agency Discover-Tech spied on internet users through a network of online advertisements that it used to track targets and hack their devices, research groups said. Reports from Canadian group Citizen Lab and US advertising security company Confiant found that Discover-Tech's services gave Candiru, an Israeli spyware company blacklisted by the US government, as well as…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Israeli company used online ads to run spy operation against 'hundreds of millions of people'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/israeli-company-used-online-ads-to-run-spy-operation-against-hundreds",
        "published": "2026-10-16T06:10:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Middle East Eye",
        "title": "Protest held against Israeli company at Madrid’s Teatros del Canal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/protest-held-against-israeli-company-at-madrids-teatros-del-canal",
        "published": "2026-10-16T06:14:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}