WANA (Jul 13) – Amid escalating media warfare, Google Ads—once a common tool for digital marketing—has reportedly transformed into a silent weapon for espionage, recruitment, and psychological operations targeting the Iranian public, according to domestic media sources and cyber experts.

 

In recent days, many Iranian digital businesses have expressed concern over disruptions and restrictions on Google Ads, fearing the consequences for their operations.

 

However, the reality, according to authorities, goes beyond technical limitations. The blocking of Google Ads in certain applications and digital spaces in Iran is not merely a technical issue but a necessary response to foreign infiltration and misuse of this platform.

 

Over the past few months—particularly since the ceasefire between Iran and the Israeli regime—hostile and opposition groups have exploited targeted advertising services such as Google Ads to deliver anti-government and provocative messages to Iranian users with high precision.

An Advertisement asking for an Intelligent worker. Social media/ WANA News Agency

These messages, often appearing in the form of political advertisements or calls for unrest and destabilization, seriously threatened the psychological security and social stability of the country.

 

Even prior to the Israeli attack on Iran, such ads were already being used to recruit spies, appearing within various applications. This trend has reportedly continued, and the danger became more apparent after some of those recruited individuals played a role in Israel’s assault on Iran.

 

Users have noted that the nature of in-app ads has drastically changed. “Previously, if we saw any ads, they were for games, apps, or entertainment services,” one user said.

 

“But now, suddenly, in the middle of a simple game or educational app, ads with political, subversive, or anti-Islamic Republic content appear.” Even more alarming, some apps that previously never showed any ads are now broadcasting political messages.

An Advertisement saying: “Where is Iran’s Supreme Leader?”. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Explaining the mechanism behind these ads, Mohammad-Mehdi Habibi, head of the Clean Cyberspace Organization, stated that many Android applications rely on Google’s advertising service to generate income.

 

“In this structure,” he explained, “developers merely embed the advertising framework into their apps, but the content of the ads is fully managed and supplied by Google.”

 

He emphasized that app developers only provide the space for displaying ads, while the content itself is controlled by Google and foreign advertisers. As a result, harmful or subversive content can be delivered through these apps without the developers’ direct knowledge.

 

When an app opts to use Google Ads, it only implements the technical framework; everything else—including content selection, targeting, timing, and display—is handled by Google.

 

Habibi further explained that Google signs contracts with advertising companies, which then determine the target audience, countries, device models, and types of apps where their ads should appear. Google uses user data—including location, interests, and device type—to tailor the ads and show them in real-time to specific users.

The YouTube channel they recommend is full of political videos. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Contrary to popular belief, users do not need to be logged into a Google account to receive these targeted ads. Google’s system can track and target users through the device’s unique Advertising ID—a code automatically generated by smartphones and accessible to any app using Google’s ad services.

 

Therefore, the restriction or shutdown of Google’s ad services in Iran is a response to this form of soft infiltration and hybrid media warfare. Authorities say this action aims to preserve national security, protect public perception, and reduce the potential for unrest.

 

This development, they warn, is a critical alert for Iranian app developers, regulators, and cyberspace authorities. It underscores the need for a thorough examination of foreign ad-targeting mechanisms and the development of domestic monitoring systems to manage in-app advertising.

 

In conclusion, at a time when hybrid and media warfare against the Islamic Republic has intensified, protecting digital borders and intelligently managing advertising has become an urgent national security priority—one that cannot be achieved without technical cooperation, transparent decision-making, and internal capacity-building.