A US court has issued a ruling against NSO Group, an Israeli cybersecurity company, ordering it to stop targeting Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp messaging service. This decision, delivered by US District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton in a 25-page judgment on Friday, imposes a permanent ban on NSO Group’s attempts to infiltrate WhatsApp, a widely used communication platform globally.
Judge Hamilton also reduced the punitive damages owed by NSO to Meta from approximately $167 million to $4 million. This ruling is expected to present a significant challenge to NSO, which has faced allegations of enabling human rights violations through its main surveillance tool, Pegasus. Pegasus exploits vulnerabilities in commonly used software, with WhatsApp being a key target.
NSO had argued that a ban on targeting WhatsApp would jeopardize its entire operation and potentially lead to its closure, as stated in the court’s decision. Meta executives expressed satisfaction with the outcome, with WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart applauding the ruling that prohibits NSO from targeting WhatsApp users and civil society members after years of litigation.
While NSO has maintained that its products combat serious crimes and terrorism, it welcomed the substantial reduction in punitive damages and clarified that the injunction does not restrict its customers from using the company’s technology for public safety purposes. NSO mentioned that it would assess the ruling and decide on its future actions accordingly.
Recent reports indicated that NSO Group was acquired by a consortium led by Hollywood producer Robert Simonds earlier this month, as reported by TechCrunch. However, Simonds did not respond immediately to queries regarding the acquisition.