.jpeg)
Pegasus hacking dispute: US court held NSO Group responsible, big win for WhatsApp
WhatsApp Pegasus Hacking: WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart called the decision a "big win for privacy". He said, "We spent five years proving this case because we believe that spying companies cannot escape accountability for their illegal actions."
Meta-owned WhatsApp won a major legal battle against Israeli company NSO Group when a US federal judge in California convicted the group of targeting the devices of about 1,400 WhatsApp users through Pegasus spyware.
WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against the NSO Group in 2019 for allegedly using the vulnerability of WhatsApp to deliver Pegasus spyware on some 1,400 phones globally in May 2019. The list included several dissidents, journalists, and human rights activists. This malware illegitimately infiltrated WhatsApp servers in order to install probing software in the users' machines and helped intercept their communication and data.
On Friday, District Judge Phyllis Hamilton of California Oakland also ruled in favor of WhatsApp, finding NSO liable for hacking and breach of contract. Now, only the compensation amount is to be discussed in the case.
