Israeli Ad Tech Firm Suspected of Targeting Starlink Users in Surveillance Effort
Researchers at TrendAI, a cybersecurity unit of Trend Micro, found that Israeli ad tech firm Discover-Tech was a leading bidder for digital ads targeting users of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service in over 100 countries. These ads may have been used to geolocate or surveil users, including in regions where Starlink is banned or restricted. TrendAI referred to the actor as 'Shadow-Earth-79' to avoid misattribution. SpaceX and Discover-Tech have not commented on the findings, and no evidence confirms successful tracking or spyware deployment.
First-hand measurement across 3 sources
We measured how 3 outlets covered this story. No outlet gave this story a measurable political slant — there is no left–right reading to report. Overall sentiment is negative (39/100). Lens Score 59/100.
Outlets measured: thehindu, theprint, firstpost. See how each one headlined and framed the same story in the source comparison below.
AI Analysis
Sentiment was consistent across outlets (35–38/100), indicating broadly factual reporting rather than editorialising.
Coverage timeline
firstpost broke this story on 27 Oct, 11:52 am. Other outlets followed.