WhatsApp Scores Legal Win Against NSO Group in Spyware Case

A significant legal victory has been achieved for Meta's WhatsApp as a US court has ruled against Israel's NSO Group, which was accused of exploiting a vulnerability in the messaging platform to deploy unauthorized spyware. This case recalls the Pegasus controversy that surfaced approximately five years ago.The spyware, named Pegasus, infamously allowed for the surveillance of at least 1,400 individuals, including journalists, human rights advocates, and political dissidents. Its installation was alarmingly simple, requiring only an unanswered phone call. Developed by the NSO Group, this software is primarily utilized by government entities for tracking purposes.In a decision made by US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland, California, NSO was deemed responsible for hacking and breaching contractual agreements. Consequently, the lawsuit will move forward to a trial that will focus exclusively on determining damages, as reported by Reuters.Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, praised the ruling as a pivotal moment for privacy rights. He stated that the legal battle, ongoing for five years, aimed to hold spyware companies accountable for their actions, asserting that they should not escape responsibility for illegal activities. A spokesperson for WhatsApp also expressed appreciation for the court's ruling.Cybersecurity experts have reacted positively to this judgment, viewing it as a crucial turning point for the spyware sector. John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab—responsible for revealing the existence of NSO's Pegasus spyware in 2016—hailed the decision as unprecedented. He highlighted that this ruling establishes accountability for entities like NSO that breach legal standards, countering the tendency of the spyware industry to deny responsibility for the misuse of its products.The lawsuit, initiated by WhatsApp in 2019, accuses NSO of the illegal use of its Pegasus software to unlawfully access WhatsApp servers and target 1,400 individuals, encompassing journalists, human rights campaigners, and government critics.