Additional highlights from the Citizen lab report include:

[nemo@mas.to]

@evacide What are good steps to defend oneself and ones frienz & family from stuff like this?

Any recommendations?

[evacide@hachyderm.io]

@nemo For iPhones, Lockdown Mode. Also, adblockers. May I interest you in EFF's Privacy Badger?

[evacide@hachyderm.io]

"This report exposes zero-click spyware delivered via targeted ads, which we call AdFection, and is the first technical demonstration that mercenary spyware is being distributed via targeted advertisements."

True. All of the other examples I can think of involve govts that roll their own malware.

[bss@social.coop]

@nemo @evacide

uBlock lite is available for iOS devices and I'm guessing Android as well. It's free and will block most ads. If you're on iOS Wipr is a $5 purchase with an optional $5 subscription for the Filtr add-on that will also block ads at a system level which means it will block ads on third party browsers. The DuckDuckGo browser also does an excellent job at blocking ads.

[nemo@mas.to]

@evacide Everything & anything that helps, ma’am "…May I interest you in EFF's Privacy Badger?"

Would EFF’s Privacy Badger be a good addition to, for example, Brave? I only fear that too many extensions will broaden my uniqueness even more. I guess, compared with being unique and getting no-click zero-days, one has to choose one’s battles and poison of choice…

Also, maybe this: https://dns.adguard-dns.com/dns-query in the Secure DNS field. Startpage as a search engine, or DuckDuckGo.

Enabling additional filters in brave://settings/shields/filters under Content filters?

Temporary Containers in private browsers?

Maybe a Pi-hole too. By the way, I’m not kidding. The more surveillance capitalism loses, the happier I get.

Also, maybe the uBlock Origin add-on, while it’s still functioning due to Manifest V2.

And maybe, for iPhone/macOS users, this too:

https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/04/filtr-is-a-new-privacy-tool-that-blocks-ads-in-almost-every-iphone-and-mac-app/

Also, limiting location services and deleting advertising IDs where possible. And maybe a VPN too?

1/2

[nemo@mas.to]

@evacide 2/2 And, of course, putting pressure on politicians to change this

Thank you for your time

[evacide@hachyderm.io]

@nemo You are correct in describing the trade-offs.

[nemo@mas.to]

Thank you for very much for your recommendations too

@bss @evacide

[nemo@mas.to]

@evacide Thank you ma'am

[rpmik@avgeek.social]

@evacide meanwhile websites loudly yell at me for my DNS level ad blocker and I just close the tab and move on

[lispi314@udongein.xyz]

@evacide@hachyderm.io I have difficulty believing all the Flash malware ads were all government-sponsored.

[readyandnot@mastodon.online]

@evacide One more reason to
Kill! The! Cookie Banners!

https://killthecookiebanner.eu/