Meta Wins $168M Verdict Against NSO Group Over WhatsApp Spyware Hack
Meta has won a major court battle against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, with a U.S. jury ordering NSO to pay nearly $168 million in damages. The case centered on NSO’s use of its Pegasus spyware to hack into 1,400 WhatsApp accounts belonging to journalists, human rights defenders, and officials in 20 countries. A previous ruling had already found NSO unlawfully exploited a WhatsApp vulnerability to install surveillance software without users’ knowledge.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, said the win marks a “critical deterrent to this malicious industry” and promised to donate the damages to digital rights groups. The trial offered rare insights into NSO’s secretive operations, revealing a 140-person research team with a $50 million budget and a client list that included countries like Saudi Arabia and Mexico. The spyware could access cameras, microphones, emails, and even location data—sometimes just by sending a text message.
NSO maintains its tools help fight serious crime and terrorism and said it will “carefully examine the verdict’s details and pursue appropriate legal remedies, including further proceedings and an appeal.” But critics say the decision sends a strong message. “NSO’s business is based on hacking American companies,” said cybersecurity researcher John Scott-Railton. “This verdict sends a clear signal.”
