Lebanon has warned people against downloading mobile phone games developed by Israeli companies, amid security fears as the Iran conflict reaches Lebanese territory.
The Lebanese General Security gave an example of a Tel Aviv-listed company, Party Poopers, which has developed games called Room and a Half, Kitchen Swipe and Arcade Heaven. They available for download on iOS and Android stores.
General Security, which is Lebanon's chief intelligence service, said it was investigating several suspicious Israel-linked apps used by people in Lebanon. It warned people not to download “in order to protect their information and privacy”.
Israel is renowned for its ability to use advanced technology and spyware to hack mobile phones and other hardware. It has used those capabilities in part to infiltrate Hezbollah and assassinate its leaders, notably in the 2024 exploding pager attack.
Party Poopers lists itself on LinkedIn as a video game studio with 12 employees that was founded in 2018 and makes “Addicting Fun Viral Innovative Crude Culty Polished Mobile Games”. Its website is sparse and limited in information, and contains only a link to a Gmail address for contact.
General Security made the plea on Monday morning at a time when Lebanon's unstable security situation has deteriorated yet again rapidly. Large areas of the country, including the capital Beirut, have come under Israeli attack.
Israeli bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday morning, hours after at least 20 people were killed in attacks on the Lebanese capital and 11 on south Lebanon overnight. About 150 people were injured in the attacks alone, which have caused mass displacement in parts of the country.
They came shortly after Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing a barrage of missiles into Israel as “revenge for the blood of the Supreme Leader of the Muslims, Ali Khamenei”, whose killing by Israel was confirmed on Saturday.
