TEL AVIV, — Israeli advertising technology company Discover-Tech is suspected of using digital advertising systems to track SpaceX’s Starlink users across more than 100 countries, potentially identifying their locations and collecting sensitive information. Researchers at TrendAI, a unit of Tokyo-based cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, identified unusual advertising activity that appeared more consistent with tracking than a conventional commercial campaign.
Advertising Data Used for Suspected Tracking
Digital advertising platforms run automated auctions in which advertisers compete for website and app advertising space. These transactions can expose user-related data to bidders, which may be combined with other information to identify or locate individuals.
TrendAI’s analysis found that Discover-Tech accounted for 12.9% of winning advertisements in its Starlink sample, compared with a 2.6% baseline share across general traffic. The company reportedly ranked as the leading bidder for Starlink-related advertisements in more than 100 countries, including Syria, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan, where Starlink is banned or restricted. It ranked second in Afghanistan and also recorded disproportionately high activity in Hungary, Israel, Egypt, Azerbaijan and Venezuela.
Researchers questioned the commercial purpose of this activity in sanctioned and conflict-affected countries. However, the findings do not establish that individual users were successfully identified or that Starlink’s network was breached.
Investigation Identifies Discover-Tech
TrendAI published its findings on October 15, 2026, initially identifying the suspected operation as “Shadow-Earth-79” to reduce the risk of misidentification. Six people familiar with the research later told Reuters that the codename referred to Discover-Tech.
The findings raise security concerns because Starlink operates outside conventional, locally controlled telecommunications networks and is used by government officials, journalists and military personnel. In Ukraine, the service supports military communications and drone operations. Exposing users’ locations could therefore create risks in sensitive areas.
Cybersecurity Findings and Industry Response
Canadian cybersecurity research group Citizen Lab and New York-based advertising technology firm Confiant have separately accused Discover-Tech of abusing advertising auctions to de-anonymise users on networks associated with governments, media organisations and technology companies.
Following these disclosures, Alphabet, IAB Europe and Comcast’s Beeswax reportedly moved to cut off Discover-Tech from their networks in October 2026. At least one major U.S. technology company and an international organisation have also launched internal investigations into whether their employees were targeted.
Earlier reports by Israeli newspaper Haaretz and Intelligence Online described other Israeli-linked companies offering tools to locate Starlink terminals and sometimes identify users through advertising identifiers and related commercial data. Those reports concerned companies other than Discover-Tech.
Neither Discover-Tech nor its chief executive has responded to requests for comment. SpaceX has also not responded. The allegations concern the suspected misuse of commercial advertising data, and the extent to which individual Starlink users were successfully tracked remains unconfirmed.
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