- An ad-based surveillance tool, Webloc, is used by global law enforcement to track up to 500 million mobile devices without warrants.
- The system, developed by Israel’s Cobwebs Technologies and now sold by Penlink, harvests location data from mobile apps and digital advertising.
- Customers include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the military, and police in Los Angeles, Dallas, and other cities.
- Meta banned Cobwebs in 2021 for targeting activists and politicians in operations spanning several countries.
- Researchers identified 219 active servers for the technology, primarily in the U.S. and Europe, raising significant privacy concerns.
Global law enforcement and intelligence agencies are using a powerful ad-based geolocation surveillance tool called Webloc to monitor hundreds of millions of phones. A report from the Citizen Lab reveals the system was developed by Israeli firm Cobwebs Technologies, which merged with Penlink in July 2023.
The tool provides access to a stream of data from up to 500 million mobile devices globally. This data includes device identifiers, location coordinates, and profile information harvested from mobile apps.
Consequently, agencies can track movements and infer personal characteristics for entire populations. Customers can analyze location history dating back up to three years, according to information on Penlink’s website.
U.S. customers include Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the U.S. military, and various police departments. These range from major cities like Los Angeles and Dallas to smaller counties.
However, the tool’s developer, Cobwebs Technologies, has a controversial history. Meta deplatformed the company in December 2021 for operating fake accounts to target activists and officials.
Meanwhile, reports from 404 Media and others highlight the tool’s ability to track phones without a warrant. One procurement notice emphasized its capacity for continuous monitoring of mobile advertising IDs and geolocated IP addresses.
Researchers linked Cobwebs to the Israeli spyware vendor Quadream through shared leadership. They also identified 219 active servers for the technology, most located in the U.S. and the Netherlands.
Penlink responded that the findings rely on inaccurate information or misunderstanding. The company asserts it complies with U.S. state privacy laws following its acquisition.
Nevertheless, the Citizen Lab concluded that intrusive ad-based surveillance is being used globally with inadequate oversight. This raises profound questions about privacy and the scale of warrantless tracking.
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