US court bars Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp users

US court blocks Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp users, cuts damages award in half.

In a significant ruling, a US judge has barred Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users after determining that the company's software causes "direct harm" to its owners. The decision comes amid growing concerns over the misuse of messaging apps as tools for espionage and cyber attacks.

The court's order is seen as a major victory for Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, which had filed a lawsuit against NSO in 2019 accusing the Israeli firm of exploiting its encrypted messaging service to target journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists with its spyware. Pegasus, NSO's software, allows operators to remotely embed spyware in devices.

Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled that NSO's conduct "serves to defeat" one of WhatsApp's core services: privacy. The judge found that evidence showed NSO had reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install its spyware on users' phones and repeatedly redesigned it to escape detection and bypass security fixes.

While the court initially awarded Meta $168 million in damages, Hamilton slashed this amount by more than 80% in her ruling, determining that the award was excessive. The new figure of $4 million represents a punitive damages ratio capped at 9/1, reducing the initial sum by about $164 million.

The decision sets an important precedent, with WhatsApp head Will Cathcart hailing it as a victory for holding NSO accountable for targeting members of civil society. "We applaud this decision that comes after six years of litigation to hold NSO accountable for targeting members of civil society," he said.

This is wild, I mean, who gets sued by a messaging app for using their own service against them? NSO Group must've thought they were above the law or something . The fact that Meta went to court and won this major victory is a huge deal for online safety and security. It's not just WhatsApp users that are protected now, but also journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists who have been targets of these spyware attacks. I'm glad the judge reduced the damages award from $168 million to $4 million, though - it's still a massive amount, but at least it's more reasonable . This ruling sets a great precedent for other companies to follow and hold these types of firms accountable for their actions

just saw this news and gotta say its crazy how far some companies will go to spy on people . i mean, who needs their own country's laws when u can just hack into someone's phone? its not like meta is innocent too, they should've done more to secure their app from the start. but idk about this $4 mil damage tho... thats still a pretty penny

I feel so bad for all those innocent people whose private messages were being spied on... like, can you imagine if someone was watching your every move without your consent? The thought alone gives me the chills! It's just not right that a company would do something so invasive and exploit its own encryption to target vulnerable individuals. $4 million doesn't seem like enough, tbh... I guess this ruling is a step in the right direction, though? Maybe it'll make NSO think twice before messing with people's privacy again

the way spyware firms like nsogroup can just target anyone on whatsapp without consent is literally insane . i mean, we know they have the tech and the means to do it, but to think that they could just get away with it is ridiculous. its not like we're living in a movie or something where our privacy isnt protected . anyhoo, this ruling from the us court is a major win for whatsapp and for people who care about their online security . lets hope this sets a precedent for more accountability towards these kinda firms .

finally some good news about our online security... just kidding who needs to worry when companies like Meta have the resources to take on governments and spyware firms? seriously though, $4 million is like, what a drop in the bucket for NSO right? they can just use that to fund their "research" and keep developing more Pegasus-like software... meanwhile we're all just stuck with our phones being mini surveillance devices

I'm low-key relieved about this ruling ... the thought of these spyware companies just running wild, exploiting people's private lives, is totally messed up . The fact that WhatsApp users' phones were being hacked and used to surveil journalists and activists? That's some serious sketchy stuff .

I mean, we all know about Pegasus, it's like this super sophisticated tool for cyber espionage... but the thing is, who gets to decide what's okay and what's not? The government isn't exactly known for its transparency, so if private companies are just gonna use these tools willy-nilly, who's gonna stop them? .

This ruling might seem like a win for Meta, but let's be real, it's more about holding NSO accountable... because, newsflash: these kinds of companies have to be held accountable for their actions. Otherwise, we're just creating an environment where they feel empowered to keep pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable .

So the US court is basically saying NSO Group can't just spy on WhatsApp users without getting in trouble Meta's all good, but what about the journalists and activists who got hit by this spyware? It feels like a weird precedent to punish the company for using it, but at the same time, I get why WhatsApp wants to protect its users' privacy . The new damages award is pretty low, though - $4 million just seems kinda... meh

just saw this news about an Israeli spyware firm being blocked from targeting WhatsApp users what a huge win for Meta and WhatsApp! 6 yrs of litigation, wow! Judge Phyllis Hamilton's ruling is super important in setting a precedent against companies exploiting encrypted messaging services for espionage NSO Group's actions are just nasty glad the court cut damages award from $168m to $4m still feels like too much, tho

omg i cant even believe the damage award got cut in half like 164 million down to 4 million is still way too much imo tho but its about time someones done somethin about those spyware companies been a thorn in our sides for ages

so what's the takeaway here? basically, US court is saying NSO Group can't just spy on WhatsApp users willy-nilly... it's like they're saying 'nope, you can't sneak around in people's phones without permission'. makes sense to me. but i still wonder why Meta didn't go for a bigger damage award? i mean, they were pretty clear that NSO was exploiting their service for evil purposes ... anyway, glad someone's being held accountable

I'm still not sure I buy this ruling . It's just a slap on the wrist, if you ask me. $4 million is peanuts compared to what those journalists and activists were put through . And let's be real, what's to stop NSO from just finding another way to get around security? They're like the cyber equivalent of a cat and mouse game . I mean, shouldn't we be looking at the bigger picture here instead of just punishing one company for their transgressions?

so this is crazy news, right? like, an Israeli spyware firm can't just use their software to hack into people's phones without consequences... I mean, I get it, WhatsApp is all about privacy and security, but come on! The fact that a US judge has ruled that NSO Group's actions are causing "direct harm" to its owners is wild. And the damages award gets cut in half from $168 million to just $4 million? That's like, a slap on the wrist.

I think this is a big deal for WhatsApp and all the other messaging apps out there trying to keep people safe online. It sets a precedent that companies can't just do whatever they want when it comes to hacking into people's devices. And I love that Will Cathcart from WhatsApp is celebrating this decision, saying it's a victory for holding NSO accountable for targeting members of civil society...

omg u guyz! i cant even... its finally happening! a us court is taking a stand against those sketchy Israeli spyware firms like nso group. theyve been using whatsapp as a tool for espionage and cyber attacks, which is literally the WORST

i mean, who needs that kind of surveillance in their life? not me, thats for sure . but seriously, its great to see the court taking action against nso's wrongdoings. 168 million in damages seemed crazy high to me, but i guess cutting it in half is still a big win . now we can all breathe a little easier knowing that whatsapp users are protected from those nasty spyware attacks

this is such good news ! i mean, think about it - a court actually took on NSO Group and said nope, you can't just spy on people's personal messages . and the judge got to decide that their software was basically hurting the people who use WhatsApp, which is like, totally legit . and now Meta gets a smaller but still pretty big award of $4 million, so at least they won something . it's like, finally some accountability for these kinds of companies . plus, this decision sets a super important precedent for protecting people's privacy online, which is something we should all be grateful for .

omg can you believe the amount of harm these spyware firms are causing they're basically selling people's private info like it's nothing what's crazy is how Meta was able to take them on and come out on top this ruling is a huge win for holding NSO accountable, but I'm also thinking about all the other innocent people who might be affected by these kinds of cyber attacks we need more laws and regulations in place to protect people's privacy and security

omg i'm so glad about this ruling ... like, who would even want spyware on their phone? it's crazy how companies can just exploit tech for espionage and stuff. anyway, i think the damages award is still kinda steep, but i get why they wanted to punish NSO that badly . it's all about holding those in power accountable, right?

omg, can u believe this?! US court just blocked an Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp users! it's about time someone held them accountable for exploiting people's privacy... $168 million in damages is nothing compared to the harm they've caused tho they gotta pay for their crimes. and 6 years of litigation? that's crazy justice is finally being served, I'm so happy for WhatsApp and all those affected! this is a huge precedent setting moment too

just saw the news about the US court blocking NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users and it's like a huge breath of fresh air ! I mean, can you believe that an Israeli spyware firm thought they could just exploit encrypted messaging services for espionage and cyber attacks? It's like they thought they were above the law . But this ruling is definitely a major win for Meta and users' privacy rights . The fact that the court reduced the damages award by 80% from $168 million to just $4 million shows that justice is being served . And let's be real, it's not like NSO Group was using their software for good . This sets a precedent and I'm hoping more companies will think twice before trying to exploit our personal info . Kudos to WhatsApp and Meta for standing up for what's right !

man, think about it, we're living in an era where our personal conversations are being used as a tool for mass surveillance like, what's the value of our digital freedom when someone can just hack into our phones and track our every move? it's like, don't get me wrong, I'm all for holding people accountable for their actions, but this is on another level NSO Group exploiting WhatsApp users, it's like, what kind of world are we living in where the line between security and privacy gets so blurred?