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US Judge Bars Israeli Spyware Firm from Targeting WhatsApp Users
In a significant decision, a US court has granted an injunction barring NSO Group, an Israeli spyware maker, from targeting users of the popular messaging service WhatsApp. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton said that NSO's software causes "direct harm" to Meta, but reduced an earlier damages award from $168m to just $4m, citing a lack of evidence to support the higher claim.
The ruling comes after six years of litigation and is seen as a major victory for WhatsApp owner Meta, which accused NSO of exploiting its encrypted messaging service to target journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists with its spyware. NSO claims it only sells its highly invasive software to vetted government agencies, but the firm's methods have been widely criticized by experts.
The judge's decision is significant not only because of its impact on NSO, but also because of its implications for global cybersecurity. The use of spyware like Pegasus has been linked to nation-states with poor human rights records, and the ruling sets an important precedent for holding such firms accountable for their actions.
Hamilton's ruling states that NSO's conduct "serves to defeat" one of the key purposes of WhatsApp: providing users with informational privacy. The judge also noted that evidence at trial showed NSO had reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to install its spyware on users' phones and redesigned it to evade detection.
NSO Group has been accused of exploiting vulnerabilities in encrypted messaging services, including WhatsApp, to target individuals who are deemed undesirable by the firm or governments that license its software. The use of such tactics is widely seen as a threat to global free speech and human rights.
In response to the ruling, Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, stated that the "ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again." Meta's win marks an important milestone in its efforts to hold NSO accountable for its actions.
The reduced damages award suggests that the court believes NSO's conduct is not as egregious as initially claimed. However, the ruling also underscores the need for greater regulation of spyware makers like NSO and for clearer guidelines on when such firms can be held liable for their actions.
In a significant decision, a US court has granted an injunction barring NSO Group, an Israeli spyware maker, from targeting users of the popular messaging service WhatsApp. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton said that NSO's software causes "direct harm" to Meta, but reduced an earlier damages award from $168m to just $4m, citing a lack of evidence to support the higher claim.
The ruling comes after six years of litigation and is seen as a major victory for WhatsApp owner Meta, which accused NSO of exploiting its encrypted messaging service to target journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists with its spyware. NSO claims it only sells its highly invasive software to vetted government agencies, but the firm's methods have been widely criticized by experts.
The judge's decision is significant not only because of its impact on NSO, but also because of its implications for global cybersecurity. The use of spyware like Pegasus has been linked to nation-states with poor human rights records, and the ruling sets an important precedent for holding such firms accountable for their actions.
Hamilton's ruling states that NSO's conduct "serves to defeat" one of the key purposes of WhatsApp: providing users with informational privacy. The judge also noted that evidence at trial showed NSO had reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to install its spyware on users' phones and redesigned it to evade detection.
NSO Group has been accused of exploiting vulnerabilities in encrypted messaging services, including WhatsApp, to target individuals who are deemed undesirable by the firm or governments that license its software. The use of such tactics is widely seen as a threat to global free speech and human rights.
In response to the ruling, Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, stated that the "ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again." Meta's win marks an important milestone in its efforts to hold NSO accountable for its actions.
The reduced damages award suggests that the court believes NSO's conduct is not as egregious as initially claimed. However, the ruling also underscores the need for greater regulation of spyware makers like NSO and for clearer guidelines on when such firms can be held liable for their actions.
