Satellite Spy: Israeli Firm Tops Starlink Ad Bids in 100 Nations

Israeli ad tech company Discover-Tech was the number one bidder for digital ads aimed at Starlink users in more than 100 countries, according to six people familiar with the matter. The firm dominated ad auctions in locations where SpaceX’s satellite internet service is banned or restricted. Researchers at TrendAI, a unit of Trend Micro, concluded that the company likely used these ads to geolocate and surveil users.

TrendAI released a report on October 15 describing the activity of an entity it labeled Shadow-Earth-79. The six sources stated that Shadow-Earth-79 is a codename for Discover-Tech. TrendAI’s analysis of digital advertising telemetry showed that the firm was one of the world’s leading bidders for traffic from Starlink terminals. The company secured the top position in ad auctions in Hungary, Israel, Egypt, Azerbaijan, and Venezuela. It also ranked as the top buyer in Syria, Libya, Yemen, and South Sudan.

The report noted an obvious skew toward buying ads for Starlink users despite low demand for commercial advertising in conflict zones. TrendAI described the bidding patterns as indicative of targeting and tracking infrastructure rather than a standard commercial operation. The researchers said the entity won an implausibly dominant share of bids in several nations. The report did not initially name Discover-Tech because executives raised legal concerns about publicly attributing the activity.

On the same day TrendAI published its findings, the Canadian cyber watchdog Citizen Lab and the New York firm Confiant named Discover-Tech directly. Both groups stated that the company abused the ad-bidding process to leak user data. Bidders can collect this data to de-anonymize users and set them up for surveillance software. Citizen Lab and Confiant said the ads appeared within dozens of sensitive networks belonging to media organizations, governments, and tech firms.

In response to the investigations, Google, Comcast, and other companies removed Discover-Tech from their ad platforms. At least one major US tech company and one international organization have launched internal inquiries to determine if the firm targeted their employees. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. Discover-Tech and its chief executive also did not respond to inquiries over the past two weeks.

Tracking Starlink users has become a priority for governments seeking to monitor satellite internet terminals. These devices route data through SpaceX satellites, allowing them to bypass local telecommunications restrictions. The service is critical for the Ukrainian military, which uses it for frontline communications and drone strikes. In May, Israeli media reported that local businesses were pitching clients on methods to identify Starlink users using ad data. Industry experts note that self-censorship is common in cybersecurity when firms fear retribution for exposing surveillance operations.