October 16 2026, Two Israeli companies allegedly exploited online advertising platforms to install surveillance software on dozens of computers at Qatar-based news organisation Al Jazeera, according to a report by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab.
The report, published on Oct 15, found that spyware company Candiru and advertising technology firm Discover Tech used malicious advertisements in 2024 and 2025 to infect 45 devices at Al Jazeera. The software was designed to collect data from the compromised machines.
Citizen Lab said Discover Tech had operated under the appearance of a legitimate advertising company for years, placing advertisements through several major networks, including Google’s advertising platform.
The company had also appeared on approved-vendor lists maintained by Google and European advertising industry association IAB Europe, the report said. Its advertisements were allegedly delivered to devices within government networks and major technology companies.
Discover Tech and Candiru did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Candiru, also known as Integrity Labs, was acquired in 2025 by US investment fund Integrity Partners, which also did not immediately comment. Al Jazeera likewise did not respond to a request for comment.
Following Citizen Lab’s findings, IAB Europe said it had suspended Discover Tech from its global vendor list for violating its policies.
Google confirmed that Discover Tech was involved in delivering spyware and had blocked the company from its advertising platforms for “systematically violating our policies,” a spokesperson said.
Online advertising platforms enable advertisers to use information about users’ interests, locations and browsing habits to deliver targeted advertisements. These networks operate globally and generate hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue.
However, researchers warned that the advertising ecosystem could also be exploited for surveillance. While advertising platforms have previously been used to collect information for government monitoring, deploying spyware through advertisements to compromise phones and computers is a more recent and less understood threat.
“The way the online advertising ecosystem works today is a security threat,” said Wolfie Christl, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab.
Cybersecurity firm Confiant, which specialises in detecting malicious advertisements, collaborated with Citizen Lab on the investigation and reported that Discover Tech was involved in espionage.
Confiant co-founder and chief technology officer Jerome Dangu said spyware companies could be turning to advertising-based attacks because it was becoming increasingly difficult to persuade people to click on malicious links sent through text messages or emails.
“What we are seeing is the rise of ad-based surveillance,” he said.
Malicious advertisements can infect devices silently
Citizen Lab said Discover Tech operated an advertising platform called Controlium, which uses advertisements to build profiles of millions of people.
According to the report, the platform could enable spyware companies such as Candiru to target individuals with seemingly harmless advertisements containing malicious code. The code could infect devices without requiring users to click on a link.
In 2021, the United States sanctioned Candiru, accusing the company of supplying spyware to governments that was used to target government officials, businesspeople, academics, activists and journalists.
Discover Tech’s website describes the company as an advertising specialist offering services to optimise advertising campaigns and mobile performance. However, company records showed that Israeli entrepreneur Eric Banoun served on its board between 2020 and 2025.
Banoun, who did not respond to a request for comment, previously founded government surveillance companies Circles and Senpai Technologies.
Advertisements appeared across sensitive networks
Citizen Lab found that advertisements linked to Discover Tech appeared on nearly 200,000 unique websites and within Android and iOS applications across dozens of countries between March and June this year.
The researchers also identified the company’s advertisements within networks associated with sensitive institutions, including NATO, the European Parliament, the US Department of Defense, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Criminal Court.
Advertisements were also detected in networks linked to major technology companies, including Intel, Nvidia and Apple.
The International Criminal Court said it was implementing appropriate measures to protect its systems and maintain operational security. The Pentagon declined to comment, while other companies and agencies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Citizen Lab cautioned that the presence of Discover Tech advertisements within an organisation’s network did not necessarily mean its employees’ devices had been compromised. Nevertheless, the findings raised significant cybersecurity concerns.
Christl urged cybersecurity agencies, regulators and lawmakers worldwide to investigate the matter urgently.
-THESTAR
