Citizen Lab says governments are exploiting online ads to spread zero-click spyware

Researchers at the digital rights group Citizen Lab report that governments are misusing online advertising to deliver zero-click spyware. Their investigation found that dozens of devices belonging to the media organization Al Jazeera were compromised after users were served malicious ads. Zero-click attacks require no action from the victim, such as clicking a link, which makes them especially hard to detect and defend against. The findings highlight growing concern over the commercial and state use of surveillance tools that exploit the advertising ecosystem. The report adds to calls for stronger safeguards on ad networks and greater accountability for spyware vendors.