Digital Espionage Hidden in Google Ads
Tehran - BORNA - What appears on the surface as ordinary digital advertising may, in fact, be part of a complex espionage game targeting users through subtle manipulation and data-driven profiling.
From Commercial Messages to Digital Psychological Warfare
In recent weeks, multiple Iranian users have reported a noticeable shift in the content of digital ads displayed within apps and online platforms.
According to these reports, what was once filled with promotional content for games, e-commerce, and entertainment has gradually transformed into politically charged videos, anti-Iran messages, and even suspicious ads inviting users to “cooperate” or respond to anonymous calls for information.
This growing concern isn’t limited to individual users. Several Iranian businesses have also voiced frustration over Google Ads’ functionality, noting disruptions and a lack of control over the type of ads shown to their user base. Many describe it as a “loss of control over the domestic digital space.”
Precision Targeting Based on Personal Data
What makes the issue even more complex is Google’s precise ad targeting mechanism. Contrary to popular belief, users don’t need to be logged into a Google account to receive targeted ads.
The advertising system uses a wide array of data, including:
Advertising ID (unique to each device)
Precise GPS location
Behavioral interests (gathered through browsing and app usage patterns)
Type and usage time of installed applications
This data enables ads whether commercial or political to be displayed to a specific user, in a specific location, at a strategically selected moment. In the wrong hands, this powerful system can be used for influence operations.
The Hidden Layer of Hybrid Warfare
Security and media analysts are increasingly focused on how advertising infrastructure is being leveraged for psychological operations and intelligence gathering. Within the framework of hybrid warfare, advertising is not neutralist is a tool for social manipulation, mindset alteration, and the sowing of strategic discontent.
Advertising in the Age of Distrust
In a world where users’ personal data can be easily tracked, analyzed, and targeted, trusting the neutrality of global digital platforms has become more difficult than ever especially in politically sensitive regions like Iran.
Restricting or regulating Google Ads is not merely a response to cybersecurity threats. It represents an attempt to reclaim control from a faceless yet immensely powerful structure one capable of shaping public perception with astonishing precision.
About the author: Fateme Moradkhani covers technology, surveillance, and AI ethics for Borna News Agency, with a focus on global cyber power and digital militarization.
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