NSO Group Found Guilty of Hacking WhatsApp Servers, US Court Rules in Landmark Case

WhatsApp claimed legal victory on Friday after a US Judge passed a verdict accusing Israel's NSO Group of bugging the messaging app to install a spy software. This allowed unauthorised access to devices.

District judge Phyllis Hamilton granted a motion by WhatsApp and found NSO liable for hacking and breach of contract.

The head of WhatsApp Will Cathcart said the ruling is a win for privacy.

In a social media post Cathcart said, “We spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions.”

He added, “Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated.”

Calling it a landmark judgement with “huge implications for the spyware industry” John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher with Canadian internet watchdog Citizen Lab said, “The entire industry has hidden behind the claim that whatever their customers do with their hacking tools, it's not their responsibility,”

He added, “Today's ruling makes it clear that NSO Group is in fact responsible for breaking numerous laws.”

Currently, the NSO Group will face a separate trial in March 2025 wherein the court will determine the damages it owes to WhatsApp.

Previously, WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against Pegasus, accusing it of accessing the messaging platform’s servers without permission. About 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists, and dissidents, were subject to illegal surveillance.