U.S. Court Rules NSO Group Liable for WhatsApp Spyware Hacks

The Israeli spyware firm was found to have violated U.S. hacking laws and WhatsApp's terms of service, with a trial set for 2025 to determine damages.

A federal judge ruled that NSO Group illegally hacked 1,400 WhatsApp users using its Pegasus spyware, breaching U.S. and California hacking laws.
The spyware targeted journalists, human rights activists, diplomats, and government officials, exploiting a WhatsApp vulnerability to infect devices without user interaction.
Judge Phyllis Hamilton granted WhatsApp's motion for summary judgment, citing NSO's refusal to provide key evidence, including the Pegasus source code, during discovery.
WhatsApp filed the lawsuit in 2019, arguing that NSO violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and its terms of service by reverse-engineering the platform's software.
The case will proceed to trial in March 2025 to determine the damages NSO Group must pay to WhatsApp for its actions.