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Kape Technologies (Crossrider)

Kape Technologies is an Israeli cybersecurity company that provides digital security and privacy solutions. Founded in Israel in 2011 by an ex-Israeli intelligence officer in Unit 8200 in the IDF under the name Crossrider, the company became heavily associated with ad injection and malware distribution. Around 2017, it rebranded as Kape Technologies to become a player in the VPN industry. Today, it offers products such as ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

Between Kape's technologies history and its connection to the Israeli military, its CEO donating to the IDF, and its owned company ExpressVPN sponsoring the likes of Ben Shapiro, Candice Owns, and Matt Walsh, makes Kape Technology and all its subsidiaries an important target for the boycott.

Teddy Sagi's Murderers Taxi

After October 7th, businessman Teddy Sagi, CEO of Kape Technologies and owner of ExpressVPN, took action to support IOF soldiers. Sagi donated 1 million shekels to a project providing taxis for IDF soldiers on leave to commute between their houses and deployment locations.

Kape Technology (Crossrider): Israeli Military & Malware

Crossrider developed a platform for browser extensions that provided unsecured monetization options for developers. This platform allowed the interception of user traffic and the direct injection of advertisements into browsers, sometimes leading to hijacked devices and browsers.

Although Crossrider did not directly create malware, it built the platform and tools that enabled third parties to exploit it for distributing malicious software. Around the same time, reports from Google, Stanford University, and others noted that many ad injection companies, including Crossrider, were based in Israel. These companies were found to have links to Israel’s military intelligence, specifically Unit 8200. Notably, Crossrider’s co-founder, Koby Menachemi, was a former member of this unit. Other companies named in the report as major offenders included Superfish, Jolly Wallet, and VisAdd, alongside Crossrider (now Kape Technologies).

Amid growing criticism and misuse of its platform, Crossrider shut down the service in 2016. In 2017, it acquired CyberGhost VPN and rebranded as Kape Technologies, attempting to distance itself from its controversial past. Since then, Kape has acquired Private Internet Access VPN, ExpressVPN, and ZenMate VPN.

Questionable Reviews

Kape has purchased VPN review websites vpnMentor and Wizcase in 2021. These sites, which attract millions of visitors, updated their VPN rankings following the acquisition, raising Kape-owned VPNs like CyberGhost and PIA while dropping competitors such as NordVPN and Surfshark.

With Kape's ownership of VPN services—CyberGhost, ZenMate, PIA, and ExpressVPN—along with review platforms, shows the bad intent in whihc the company is trying to promote its services.

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