Meta’s WhatsApp Wins Major Legal Case Against Pegasus Spyware Maker NSO
WhatsApp has won a major legal case against NSO Group over Pegasus spyware, marking a key milestone in making spyware corporations accountable for illicit surveillance of activists, journalists, and politicians
Meta’s WhatsApp Wins Major Legal Case Against Pegasus Spyware Maker NSO
Meta's WhatsApp has secured a significant victory in its lawsuit against NSO Group Technologies, the Israeli company behind the notorious Pegasus spyware, late on Friday (December 20). This ruling marks a significant milestone in a high-profile lawsuit filed by Meta’s messaging app in 2019.
According to the lawsuit, NSO Group used Pegasus for two weeks in May 2019 to infect and monitor the user's phone. The spyware, known for its invasive capabilities, was deployed to extract sensitive data from targets via WhatsApp. In fact, after the case, in 2021, the Biden administration blacklisted NSO Group, preventing US agencies from purchasing its products.
US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton handed down a summary judgement in favour of WhatsApp, finding NSO Group liable for hacking into the phones of approximately 1,400 individuals, including journalists, human rights activists, and government officials.
Hamilton stated in her verdict that NSO Group impeded the judicial process by neglecting to supply WhatsApp with the spyware's source code, despite being instructed to do so by early 2024. Instead, the corporation made the code available exclusively in Israel and confined its evaluation to Israeli citizens, which the judge described as "simply impracticable."
The ruling paves the way for a jury trial in March 2025 to determine the damages NSO Group owes to WhatsApp. Thus, this development is likely to have far-reaching implications for the global surveillance industry and the use of spyware against civilians.
