Israeli Ad Firm Targeted SpaceX Starlink Users for Surveillance, Sources Say
Researchers reveal an Israeli ad agency targeted SpaceX Starlink users globally with digital advertisements likely designed for geolocation tracking and surveillance.
Cybersecurity researchers have revealed that an Israeli digital advertising agency launched a major ad campaign targeting SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet users, likely in an attempt to track them, according to Reuters citing six sources familiar with the matter. Investigators at TrendAI, a division of Japanese cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, concluded that Israeli firm Discover-Tech was among the largest buyers of digital ads displayed to Starlink users worldwide. The ads were allegedly used to pinpoint geographic locations or conduct other forms of tracking.
According to the sources, TrendAI's monitoring data showed that Discover-Tech ranked first in purchasing ad space targeting Starlink traffic across more than 100 countries, including nations where the service is restricted or banned. The findings were detailed in a recent TrendAI tracking report, which referred to the entity under the codename Shadow-Earth-79 without explicitly naming Discover-Tech.
Efforts to monitor Starlink users have surged as governments struggle to regulate satellite internet terminals. Because Starlink bypasses local telecom providers by communicating directly with satellites, it enables communication in hostile zones and active battlefields, proving critical for Ukrainian forces.
Beyond Starlink targeting, Shadow-Earth-79 emerged as the top buyer of ad space in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and South Sudan, and ranked second in Afghanistan. Researchers noted that legitimate commercial demand in these sanctioned or conflict zones is practically non-existent. Earlier this month, Citizen Lab and Confiant reported that Discover-Tech abused programmatic ad auctions to harvest user data. At least one major US tech firm and an international organization have launched internal probes into the matter.
