Cracked Labs

Institute for Critical Digital Culture

Europe's and America's hidden security crisis

Two reports about how data about defense personnel and political leaders flows from digital advertising to foreign states and non-state actors

Published by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) and led by Johnny Ryan, Cracked Labs contributed to reports about how digital advertising and real-time bidding (RTB) allows foreign states and non-state actors to obtain compromising sensitive personal data about key European and American personnel and leaders.

November 2023. Authors: Johnny Ryan and Wolfie Christl

"Europe's Hidden Security Crisis"

» Download report (PDF, 24 pages)
» Announcement on the ICCL website

"Americas's Hidden Security Crisis"

» Download report (PDF, 25 pages)
» Announcement on the ICCL website

Media coverage

» Financial Times ("Web browsing data collected in more detail than previously known, report finds", 14 Nov 2023)
» Spiegel ("Gefährdet Onlinewerbung die nationale Sicherheit?", 14 Nov 2023)
» Le Monde ("Les données des publicités en ligne sont détournées pour espionner des internautes, selon un rapport", 15 Nov 2023)
» elDiaro.es ("Datos sensibles de políticos y militares de la UE acaban en Rusia y China por el rastreo publicitario ", 16 Nov 2023)
» The Register ("Rights warriors claim online ad auction data a danger to national security", 16 Nov 2023)
» Euractiv ("MEPs ask Commission to act after revelations of sensitive EU data sell-off", 14 Nov 2023)
» ftm.nl ("De online advertentie-industrie bedreigt de nationale veiligheid", 19 Dec 2023)