Citizen Lab: Law Enforcement Used Webloc to Track 500 Million Devices via Ad Data
Summary
Law enforcement agencies in Hungary, El Salvador, and the U.S. have reportedly used a surveillance tool named Webloc. This system, developed by Cobwebs Technologies and now managed by Penlink, leverages advertising data to track the geolocation of approximately 500 million devices globally.
IFF Assessment
This tool represents a significant capability for law enforcement to track individuals using widely available advertising data, which poses a privacy and surveillance risk.
Defender Context
This highlights the growing concern around the use of ad-tech for surveillance purposes, which can be exploited by sophisticated actors or repurposed for malicious intent. Defenders should be aware of how device identifiers and location data within advertising ecosystems can be compromised or leveraged for tracking.