WhatsApp Wins Major Legal Victory Over Israeli Spyware Firm NSO Group
In a significant legal victory, WhatsApp has won a ruling against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, which was accused of hacking over 1,000 WhatsApp users in 2019. The federal judge in the Northern District of California ruled that NSO Group is liable under federal and California law for the hacking spree.
The landmark case began in 2019 when WhatsApp filed suit against NSO Group, accusing the company of breaking a federal anti-hacking law. WhatsApp alleged that NSO Group’s custom malware, Pegasus, was used to spy on human rights advocates and journalists.
NSO Group did not immediately comment on the ruling, but has previously denied wrongdoing and claimed that its products are used to fight crime and terrorism.
The ruling is a significant victory for activists who have sought to rein in companies that make powerful spyware, which has reportedly been used to surveil individuals worldwide. The case will now go to trial on the question of what damages NSO Group owes to Meta-owned WhatsApp.
The market for commercial spyware has exploded in recent years, with at least 74 countries contracting with private firms to obtain the software. The Biden administration has tried to crack down on spyware makers, including NSO Group, following a 2021 discovery that the iPhones of about a dozen US diplomats were hacked using NSO-developed spyware.
Friday’s ruling sets a precedent that could have a chilling effect on efforts by other spyware companies to enter the US market, said John Scott-Railton, a researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab. The ruling also sends a message that “surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated.”