Hustler Words – In a significant victory for user privacy, a U.S. federal judge has sided with WhatsApp, granting a permanent injunction against NSO Group, the controversial Israeli cyberintelligence firm, effectively barring them from targeting WhatsApp users. While WhatsApp celebrates this protective measure, the financial sting for NSO Group has been considerably lessened.
The ruling follows a previous jury decision that initially ordered NSO Group to pay Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, over $167 million in damages. This stemmed from a 2019 campaign where NSO Group’s spyware was allegedly used to target over 1,400 WhatsApp users, including journalists and human rights activists.
However, Judge Phyllis Hamilton significantly reduced the penalty, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to deem NSO Group’s actions "particularly egregious." Applying a punitive damages ratio of 9 to 1, the court slashed the payment to approximately $4 million.
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Despite the reduced financial burden, WhatsApp’s head, Will Cathcart, hailed the ruling as a major win. In a statement to Courthouse News Service, Cathcart emphasized that the injunction "bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again." He added, "We applaud this decision that comes after six years of litigation to hold NSO accountable for targeting members of civil society."
The news arrives amidst NSO Group’s recent confirmation of its acquisition by U.S. investors, a move that could potentially reshape the company’s future operations and its relationship with international legal challenges. The permanent injunction, however, remains a clear message about the legal consequences of exploiting messaging platforms for surveillance purposes.
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