An Israeli ad tech company named Discover-Tech is reportedly using digital advertisements to spy on Starlink users across the globe, Reuters reports. Six people familiar with the matter indicate that researchers at TrendAI, a unit of Trend Micro, identified the firm as a primary source of ads targeting SpaceX satellite internet users. These ads are allegedly being used to geolocate or otherwise keep tabs on individuals connected to the service.
The investigation into this activity reveals that Discover-Tech became a leading bidder for ad space on Starlink traffic. It reportedly held the top bidding spot in more than 100 countries, including regions where Starlink is restricted or banned.
Bidding is a complex auction process that lets companies secure space inside apps and browsers. By winning these auctions, bidders can gather leaked data, merge it with other information, and potentially de-anonymize users or track their movements across the web.
TrendAI released a report on October 15 detailing this targeting
TrendAI referred to the entity responsible by the codename Shadow-Earth-79. The six sources confirmed that this codename refers to Discover-Tech. While TrendAI did not explain why it avoided naming the company, it stated that its approach to attribution is intended to reduce the risk of mistakes and avoid “hype-driven labels” or “unstable actor names that can mislead defenders, distort risk prioritization, and trigger inappropriate response actions.”
The report from TrendAI highlighted suspicious bidding patterns that suggest the company is running “targeting and tracking infrastructure rather than a commercial advertising operation.” The entity reportedly secured “an implausibly dominant share” of bids in countries like Hungary, Israel, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Venezuela.
Perhaps most concerning is that the firm was the top ad buyer in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and South Sudan, and the second-largest in Afghanistan. This is significant because the demand for legitimate Western advertising in these active-conflict or sanctioned states is effectively zero.
Finding ways to track Starlink users has become a cottage industry. Because these terminals route data through satellites rather than local telecommunications firms, they can sidestep internet restrictions and communicate in hostile areas. This makes them a vital resource for military operations, such as those in Ukraine.
On the same day the TrendAI report surfaced, Citizen Lab and Confiant outed Discover-Tech by name. They claimed the company abused the ad bidding process to show ads inside sensitive networks belonging to governments, media organizations, and tech firms.
Following these findings, major players like Google and Comcast removed Discover-Tech from their ad platforms. At least one large US tech company and an international organization have reportedly launched internal inquiries to see if their employees were targeted by these ads.
Industry experts note that self-censorship is common in cybersecurity when executives fear retribution for exposing surveillance operations. While TrendAI researchers were convinced Discover-Tech was behind the activity and discussed naming the firm, they ultimately dropped the idea after executives raised legal concerns. This mirrors other industry incidents where companies have pulled back on explicit attributions to avoid potential conflicts.
SpaceX, Discover-Tech, and its chief executive did not respond to requests for comment.
Published: Oct 27, 2026 07:15 pm