NSO Group Must Pay More Than $167 Million In Damages To WhatsApp For Spyware Campaign

A historic jury ruling has finally come to pass, as NSO Group, the maker of spyware used to target thousands of people, including dissidents and journalists, has been ordered to pay a whopping $167 million in damages to WhatsApp. The verdict marks a major victory for the Meta-owned messaging app, which had sought justice for the 2019 hacking campaign that compromised over 1,400 users.

The five-year legal battle came to a head on Tuesday, when a jury delivered its decision in favor of WhatsApp. The ruling is a significant win for the company, which had initially asked for more than $400,000 in compensatory damages. However, the jury ultimately awarded WhatsApp a total of $167,256,000 in punitive damages and around $444,719 in compensatory damages.

The spyware campaign, which was exposed in 2019, saw NSO Group access WhatsApp servers and exploit an audio-calling vulnerability to target its victims. The attacks affected over 1,400 people, including human rights activists, journalists, and dissidents. WhatsApp had alleged that the company's actions resulted in significant costs, including the time its employees dedicated to remediate the attacks, investigate them, and push fixes to patch the vulnerability exploited by NSO Group.

The trial and the subsequent lawsuit revealed a series of shocking details about NSO Group's customers and operations. The location of some of the victims was exposed, as well as the names of the company's clients who had been targeted by the spyware campaign. These revelations have shed new light on the scope and reach of NSO Group's malicious activities.

NSO Group's spokesperson, Gil Lainer, has stated that the company will carefully examine the verdict's details and pursue appropriate legal remedies, including further proceedings and an appeal. "We will not let this setback deter us from our mission to protect our customers' rights," Lainer said in a statement.

This landmark ruling marks the end of a long and complex legal battle that began over five years ago. While NSO Group has expressed its intention to appeal the verdict, the outcome is a significant victory for WhatsApp and a major blow to the spyware maker's reputation. As the world continues to grapple with the dangers of cyber espionage and surveillance, this ruling serves as a powerful reminder of the need for accountability and justice in the tech industry.