Citizen Lab: Law Enforcement Used Webloc to Track 500 Million Devices via Ad Data
Incidents: A global geolocation surveillance system, Webloc, developed by Cobwebs Technologies and now sold by Penlink, has been used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to track up to 500 million mobile devices.
Deep Analysis and Expert Commentary
A global geolocation surveillance system, Webloc, developed by Cobwebs Technologies and now sold by Penlink, has been used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to track up to 500 million mobile devices. Leveraging data harvested from mobile apps and digital advertising, Webloc provides access to device identifiers, location coordinates, and profile data, enabling continuous monitoring of individu
Original Article Brief Intro
The Hacker News · 2026-04-11 · Incidents: A global geolocation surveillance system, Webloc, developed by Cobwebs Technologies and now sold by Penlink, has been used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to track up to 500 million mobile devices.
Related Terms and Notes
Techniques / TTPs
- Law Enforcement
Context Notes
- Geolocation Surveillance
- Penlink — A provider of digital evidence collection and analysis software, acquired Cobwebs Technologies in 2023.
- Privacy Concerns
- Webloc — A geolocation surveillance system developed by Cobwebs Technologies, now sold by Penlink, used to track mobile devices globally.