Permanent Injunction Issued Against Israeli Spyware Firm
A United States federal court has issued a permanent injunction against the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, legally barring it from accessing or attempting to use WhatsApp’s services. This ruling is a significant development in the lawsuit originally filed by WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, against the surveillance technology company. The court’s decision concludes a key part of a legal battle that began in 2019 after it was discovered that NSO’s Pegasus spyware was used to target WhatsApp users.
The lawsuit alleged that NSO Group exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp’s video calling feature to install its Pegasus spyware on the mobile devices of approximately 1,400 users. The targets of this surveillance campaign included journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, and senior government officials across multiple countries. WhatsApp stated that NSO Group reverse-engineered the app and sent malicious code through its servers to infect the targeted devices.
The Legal Battle and Court’s Decision
Throughout the legal proceedings, NSO Group argued that it should be granted sovereign immunity because it was acting on behalf of its foreign government clients. However, U.S. courts, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, rejected this argument. The courts ruled that NSO Group, as a private entity, was not entitled to the legal protections afforded to foreign states, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.
The final judgment includes the permanent injunction which legally prohibits NSO Group and its affiliates from accessing or attempting to access WhatsApp or Meta’s services and systems. This includes creating new accounts or using any existing accounts on the platforms. The ruling establishes a legal precedent holding spyware providers accountable for abusing private communication platforms.
Concise Cyber 