US Judge Rules NSO Group Liable for WhatsApp Hack in Landmark Case
The logo of NSO Group A US judge delivered a significant legal victory for WhatsApp on Friday, ruling that NSO Group Technologies , the Israeli maker of the infamous Pegasus spyware, violated US hacking laws and WhatsApp's terms of service in a 2019 cyberattack. The lawsuit, filed by Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, accused NSO Group of infecting and surveilling the phones of 1,400 individuals over a two-week period in May 2019. These individuals included journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, and diplomats. In her ruling, Judge Phyllis Hamilton stated that NSO Group had violated both state and federal US hacking laws, specifically the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The case will now proceed to a jury trial in March 2025 to determine the damages owed to WhatsApp. WhatsApp praised the decision, with a spokesperson saying, “After five years of litigation, we’re grateful for today’s decision. NSO can no longer avoid accountability for their unlawful attacks...