US Court Bans NSO Group Retas WhatsApp, Fines Reduced Drastically From 167 Million To 4 Million Dollars

Israeli spyware, NSO Group, must stop all hacking attempts against Meta's WhatsApp messaging service (photo; x @dawn_com ·)

JAKARTA - A court in the United States ordered Israeli spyware company NSO Group to stop all hacking attempts against Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messaging service (Facebook and Instagram contacts). This decision is considered a major blow to NSO, which for years has been linked to abuse of surveillance technology in various countries.

In a 25-page verdict read out on Friday 17 October, US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton issued a permanent injunction that prohibits NSO from hacking or trying to hack WhatsApp one of the most popular communication platforms in the world.

In addition, the judge also significantly cut the amount of compensation fines previously decided by the jury. From around 167 million US dollars to only 4 million US dollars, or down about 97%.

This ruling is a big challenge for NSO Group, known through its advanced spy device, Pegasus. This device is capable of exploiting security loopholes in various applications, including WhatsApp, to spy on targets without being noticed.

In a previous hearing, NSO argued that such a ban 'could destroy entire enterprise business' and 'force NSO to go out of business', as their core business is to provide digital surveillance services to governments and security agencies.

Meta welcomed the victory with joy. Head of WhatsApp Will Cathcart wrote on platform X (formerly Twitter):

Today's decision prohibits NSO spyware makers from forever targeting WhatsApp and our global users. This is a big win after six years of legal struggle to uphold accountability for attacks on civil society."

Meanwhile, NSO admitted to accepting the decision to reduce fines but emphasized that the ban does not apply to its clients, namely governments and law enforcement agencies in various countries. They can still use our technology to protect public safety," NSO said in a statement.

The company also said it was reviewing the decision and would determine the next legal steps.

In another development, NSO was recently acquired by Hollywood producer-led consortium Robert Simonds, according to a TechCrunch tech media report earlier this October. Simonds has not yet responded to a request for comment.

This case marks a new chapter in the long legal battle between global technology companies and the spyware industry, which are now under sharp scrutiny due to the narrow limit between public security and privacy breaches.