Surveillance Vendors Exploit Telecom Infrastructure for Global Phone Location Tracking

Researchers at The Citizen Lab identified two surveillance vendors exploiting cellular network infrastructure to track individuals' phone locations globally. The abuse involved unauthorized access to telecommunications providers' systems, leveraging protocols such as Diameter and SS7 to conduct surveillance. No specific victim count, technical indicators, or vendor names were disclosed in the findings. The report highlights the privacy risks posed by such attacks, which enable real-time location tracking without user consent. The incidents occurred prior to the publication date of April 23, 2026, with no exact timeline provided. The activity was linked to entities based in Israel, though broader geographic details remain unspecified.