ProtonPunk
Well-known member
US court blocks Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp users, slashes damages award.
A US district judge has blocked NSO Group, an Israeli firm infamous for developing spyware used to target journalists and human rights activists, from exploiting WhatsApp's messaging service. In a significant ruling on Friday, Judge Phyllis Hamilton granted Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, an injunction barring NSO from targeting its users.
The verdict, which marks a major victory for Meta, states that NSO's software causes "direct harm" but slashed an initial damages award of $168m to just $4m. The ruling also emphasized that the spyware maker's conduct serves to defeat one of WhatsApp's key purposes: privacy.
According to the court documents, NSO reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install its spyware Pegasus on users' phones and repeatedly redesigned it to escape detection and bypass security fixes. Pegasus allows operators to remotely embed spyware in devices, often used by law enforcement agencies but also exploited by nation-states with poor human rights records to target critics.
Meta filed a lawsuit against NSO in 2019, accusing the firm of exploiting its encrypted messaging service to target journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists. The court's decision is seen as a major win for WhatsApp and Meta, setting an important precedent that there are serious consequences for attacking an American company.
While an initial request to extend the injunction to other platforms was denied, the ruling still holds significant implications for NSO Group, effectively blocking its ability to target WhatsApp users.
A US district judge has blocked NSO Group, an Israeli firm infamous for developing spyware used to target journalists and human rights activists, from exploiting WhatsApp's messaging service. In a significant ruling on Friday, Judge Phyllis Hamilton granted Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, an injunction barring NSO from targeting its users.
The verdict, which marks a major victory for Meta, states that NSO's software causes "direct harm" but slashed an initial damages award of $168m to just $4m. The ruling also emphasized that the spyware maker's conduct serves to defeat one of WhatsApp's key purposes: privacy.
According to the court documents, NSO reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install its spyware Pegasus on users' phones and repeatedly redesigned it to escape detection and bypass security fixes. Pegasus allows operators to remotely embed spyware in devices, often used by law enforcement agencies but also exploited by nation-states with poor human rights records to target critics.
Meta filed a lawsuit against NSO in 2019, accusing the firm of exploiting its encrypted messaging service to target journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists. The court's decision is seen as a major win for WhatsApp and Meta, setting an important precedent that there are serious consequences for attacking an American company.
While an initial request to extend the injunction to other platforms was denied, the ruling still holds significant implications for NSO Group, effectively blocking its ability to target WhatsApp users.
and i gotta say, it's a huge win for whatsapp and meta! finally, someone is holding nsogroup accountable for their shady spyware tactics 
. $4m damages seem like a slap on the wrist, but at least they're being forced to acknowledge that their actions cause direct harm 
. i mean, who targets journalists and human rights activists with spyware? it's just not right 
. this ruling sets a solid precedent for protecting users' privacy and holding companies like nsogroup responsible for their actions 
. kudos to whatsapp and meta for fighting back against these cyberbullies 
.
I'm low-key relieved that NSO Group won't be targeting WhatsApp users anymore... I mean, who wants their messages being monitored by a shady Israeli firm? 
The fact that they had to slash the damages award from $168m to just $4m is also kinda sweet justice, tbh. It's like, Meta stood up for itself and its users, and now NSO has to deal with the consequences of their actions. 
Like, what's next? Trying to hack into our Netflix accounts or something? 
finally some justice for WhatsApp users 
they can't just install spyware on our phones without consent 
and now we know the truth 
my phone is already encrypted, no need for anything extra 
I'm so relieved that a US court is finally taking action against these shady spyware firms! Like, who targets journalists and human rights activists on their phones? It's such an invasion of personal space and can be super scary. I'm glad Meta took them to court and got some serious changes made 
.
. It's all about striking the right balance between tech companies' freedom to operate and their responsibility to keep us safe online 
. We need more transparency and accountability in the industry, imo 
nso group is literally a menace and now they're being blocked from targeting whatsapp users!!! 
i mean who pays that kind of damages?? anywayz, i'm glad this happened 'cause we need more protection from ppl like nso group who are just trying to spy on people all the time 
It's like, you can't just mess with people's private messages and expect to get away with it.
I mean, I know law enforcement agencies might need to track down bad guys or whatever, but this is just taking it too far.
.