- A US judge ruled that NSO Group is liable for hacking WhatsApp servers and breaching user privacy.
- NSO installed its Pegasus spying software on 1,400 phones, surveilling individuals like journalists, activists, and dissenters.
- The case will proceed to trial to determine the damages. The NSO Group is yet to respond to the ruling.
In 2019, Meta-owned WhatsApp sued the NSO Group, an Israeli cyber-intelligence firm for injunction and damages. Meta accused the NSO Group of exploiting a vulnerability in WhatsApp and installing the Pegasus spying software on 1,400 devices, mostly of journalists, human rights activists, and political dissenters. Finally, a US judge has ruled against NSO for its ill practices.
According to this report by Reuters, U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland ruled in favor of Meta on Friday, December 20th. The court held that NSO is liable for the unauthorized breach of WhatsApp servers and hacking. The trial will now continue forward to determine the damages. The notorious Israeli cyber firm is yet to respond on this matter.
For context, NSO installed their Pegasus software on 1,400 devices, exploiting a vulnerability in WhatsApp. This allowed them to surveil people like journalists, human rights activists, and dissenters. However, NSO argued that Pegasus is supposed to help government agencies protect national security by tracking and catching terrorists, pedophiles, and criminals.
The head of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart shared a post on X, expressing his views on the matter. Cathcart wrote, “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“.
The WhatsApp-NSO case has dragged on for a long time and it is a relief to see that WhatsApp is taking a stand in the interest of user privacy. We hope to hear a word on this verdict by NSO and their thoughts on the matter. Meanwhile, what do you think about this landmark judgment? Let us know in the comments below.
