This is a nation state level actor using a public ad network.

If your one of the targets of this, none of those measures will help. At best, the adblock will work for the publically known ad networks, but they'll get you with an ad served from a fresh domain. And if they are using zero-click exploits, they likely have a persistence mechanism as well, and even if they don't, they will probably exfil all your data as soon as they can anyway.

The good news is that most people aren't actually useful targets to nation state actors, so all of us are likely safe. We aren't worth risking a zero-click zero day on (or the persistence exploit). Journalists/politicians/military personnel though should be a lot more concerned, but they already have solutions like airgapped networks and other opsec tools.

Of course turning off personalised ads is good for privacy, but this post seems to imply it could help protect against this spyware as well. That's not true, is it? To me those things sound totally unrelated.

Android 12 or later:

1. unlock the bootloader and flash a custom ROM like LineageOS or GrapheneOS. If there is none, root it and rip out Play Services and dependents by force (careful about boot loops with Play Sore itself).
2. install a trusted app store (F-Droid/classic) and install Firefox or a fork and there uBlock Origin. Or at least a browser like Cromite or Vanadium.
   Install replacements for missing dependents like phone caller (fossify to the rescue).

99% of ads we see are malware payload and the few are legitimate business. Always has been

I hear the argument that we are not worth the effort of being hacked but nobody should be living knowing that they are vulnerable to being hacked. While full security may be an illusion, especially with AI around, we ought to still be attempting to have the most secure devices possible. I've seen a lot about these zero day ads but little about how to fight against them. Throwing away ur mobile is not the solution in todays complex world, but rethinking its usage certainly is ... i.e. spending hours each day on social networks i guess is no good idea as it increases your attack surface? What else ca we do about this?