A US judge has ruled that the Israeli software company NSO Group is liable for hacking 1,400 WhatsApp users using its Pegasus spyware. The court found that NSO Group exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp to target journalists, activists, politicians, and other individuals. NSO Group has been found to have violated the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act and the California Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, along with breaching its contract with WhatsApp.
This ruling is a major victory for WhatsApp, which initiated legal action in 2019. The judge rejected NSO Group's argument that it was not liable, as their clients were investigating crimes and national security matters. A trial will now proceed to determine the damages that NSO Group will owe WhatsApp. This landmark decision is being seen as a precedent for other companies in the spyware industry.