Why it matters:
NSO Group allegedly reverse-engineered WhatsApp’s code to install spyware on approximately 1,400 devices.
The spyware, known as Pegasus, could activate cameras and microphones and extract data, effectively turning phones into surveillance tools.
Targets reportedly included journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists.
The big picture:
NSO Group, founded in 2010 and based in Herzliya, Israeli-occupied territories, has long claimed its software is sold only to governments for fighting crime and terrorism.
Independent experts have linked Pegasus to regimes with poor human rights records.
TechCrunch reported that a U.S. investment group recently acquired a controlling stake in NSO.
What's happening:
District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that NSO’s conduct caused “irreparable harm” and was ongoing, justifying Meta’s request for an injunction.
However, she rejected Meta’s $168 million damages claim, saying NSO’s actions didn’t meet the “particularly egregious” standard required for such a penalty.
- The ruling sets a precedent for how courts may handle digital surveillance cases in the smartphone era, though Judge Hamilton noted that legal standards are still evolving.
What they’re saying:
“Today’s ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again,” said WhatsApp head Will Cathcart.
Meta applauded the decision, calling it a victory for civil society.
Flashback:
Meta filed the lawsuit in 2019, accusing NSO of cyberespionage and malicious code injection via spoofed WhatsApp traffic.
Go deeper:
Israel spying on journalists, activists via WhatsApp in Italy
Hossein Amiri - seyed mohammad kazemi
