News|CybersecurityUS court bars Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp usersThe judge ruled NSO caused ‘irreparable harm’ to Meta, but said an earlier award of $168m in damages was ‘excessive’.
A United States judge has issued an injunction prohibiting the Israeli spyware company NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users. The court ruled that the company's software has caused "direct harm" and reduced an earlier damages award from $168 million to…
A United States judge has issued an injunction prohibiting the Israeli spyware company NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users. The court ruled that the company's software has caused "direct harm" and reduced an earlier damages award from $168 million to $4 million.
On Fri, the court granted Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, an injunction to prevent NSO's spyware from being used on the messaging platform. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton stated that NSO's actions result in "irreparable harm" and noted that the activities in question are ongoing. The judge emphasized that NSO's behavior undermines WhatsApp's core function of providing informational privacy to its users.
Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that NSO reverse-engineered WhatsApp's code to covertly install its Pegasus spyware on users' devices. The company repeatedly modified the spyware to avoid detection and circumvent security updates. NSO claims to sell its software exclusively to vetted government law enforcement and intelligence agencies. However, Meta filed a lawsuit in 2019, accusing NSO of exploiting WhatsApp to target journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists.
A United States judge has issued an injunction prohibiting the Israeli spyware company NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users.
Independent experts have indicated that NSO's software has been utilized by nation-states, including those with questionable human rights records, to target dissenting voices.
Judge Hamilton justified the broad injunction by citing NSO's multiple tactics to compromise WhatsApp users, such as missed calls and "zero-click" attacks, as well as the overall clandestine nature of the company's operations. The judge also addressed the initial damages award of $168 million, ruling it excessive due to insufficient precedents involving unlawful electronic surveillance. Consequently, the damages were reduced to $4 million.
Meta had requested the court to extend the injunction to other platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. However, the judge determined that there was insufficient evidence to confirm similar harms on those platforms.
Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.
