Updated

Citizen Lab researchers revealed that Israeli company Discover-Tech, posing as a digital advertising firm, deployed spyware linked to blacklisted Israeli firm Candiru through zero-click ads, infecting hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, including at least 45 devices belonging to Al Jazeera journalists in 2024 and 2025. The case is described as the first publicly confirmed zero-click mercenary spyware delivered via advertisements. The revelations add to scrutiny of Israeli surveillance technology firms' role in targeting journalists and civil society figures globally.