AhlulBayt News Agency: A U.S. federal court has issued a permanent injunction against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, barring it from using its surveillance technology on WhatsApp. The ruling follows a prolonged legal battle initiated by Meta in 2019, accusing NSO of cyberespionage and unauthorized access to its messaging platform.
The case centers on allegations that NSO reverse-engineered WhatsApp’s code to deploy its Pegasus spyware on approximately 1,400 devices. The spyware, capable of activating cameras and microphones and extracting data, reportedly targeted journalists, lawyers, and human rights defenders.
U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that NSO’s actions caused “irreparable harm” and posed an ongoing threat, justifying the permanent injunction. However, she denied Meta’s $168 million damages claim, stating that the conduct did not meet the threshold of “particularly egregious” behavior required for such compensation.
Founded in 2010 and based in Herzliya, Israeli-occupied territories, NSO Group has long maintained that its products are sold exclusively to government clients for counterterrorism and law enforcement purposes.
Nonetheless, Pegasus has been linked by independent investigations to authoritarian regimes with poor human rights records. Recently, TechCrunch reported that a U.S. investment firm acquired a controlling stake in NSO.
Meta welcomed the court’s decision, describing it as a significant win for civil society. WhatsApp head Will Cathcart stated, “Today’s ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again.”
The judgment is seen as a landmark in the evolving legal landscape surrounding digital surveillance and privacy rights in the smartphone era.
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