Two Israeli companies placed spyware on 45 Al Jazeera devices through online advertisements, according to the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab.
The Qatari broadcaster, whose website also faces access blocks in Pakistan, was targeted.
Citizen Lab tied the attacks to spyware maker Candiru and ad-tech firm Discover Tech. Researchers noted the companies served malicious ads in 2024 and 2025, allowing surveillance software to infect devices and gather data without any user click.
Discover Tech is said to have run an advertising platform named Controlium, which compiled profiles of millions and aided spyware firms in delivering targeted malicious ads.
After the report, Google confirmed Discover Tech's role in the spyware distribution and removed it from its ad platforms. IAB Europe also suspended the firm from its vendor list.
Via: Bloomberg
