Judge grants ruling in favor of WhatsApp against spyware firm NSO Group | CyberScoop<\/title> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Judge grants ruling in favor of WhatsApp against spyware firm NSO Group\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The ruling is arguably the most important to date against the Israeli maker of the Pegasus spyware.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-23T19:07:13+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-23T19:07:15+00:00\"> <meta property=\"og:image\" 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readability=\"25.175373134328\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"33.369863013699\">\n<p> The ruling is arguably the most important to date against the Israeli maker of the Pegasus spyware. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/82972\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> A photographic illustration shows a mobile phone near the NSO Group company logo on Feb. 9, 2022 in the Israeli city of Netanya. (Photo by JACK GUEZ\/AFP via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"29.712036733355\"><body readability=\"61.895691609977\"><\/p>\n<p>A federal judge has dealt the first major legal blow against spyware maker NSO Group, ruling in favor of WhatsApp in a five-year-old lawsuit against the Israeli firm over allegations that it hacked the chat service.<\/p>\n<p>Northern California District Court Judge Phyllis Hamilton made <a href=\"https:\/\/storage.courtlistener.com\/recap\/gov.uscourts.cand.350613\/gov.uscourts.cand.350613.494.0.pdf\">her ruling<\/a> on Friday as a summary judgment, thus not requiring a full trial. She determined that NSO Group violated U.S. and California anti-hacking laws and had failed to obey court orders to produce evidence, especially the Pegasus spyware source code.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the biggest turn in a case that at one point compelled the Supreme Court to <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/supreme-court-whatsapp-nso-group-spyware\/\">weigh in<\/a> and that has produced a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/nso-group-used-whatsapp-exploits-after-the-messaging-app-sued-the-spyware-developer-court-filing-says\/\">bevy of revelations<\/a>, and is perhaps the biggest ruling to date against a spyware maker in what is <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/spyware-court-cases-nso-group-meta-whatsapp-apple\/\">a difficult forum for victims<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a historic judgment and a first major court victory against NSO Group in the world, finding them liable for compromising the digital security infrastructure that millions of people rely on,\u201d said Natalia Krapiva, senior tech-legal counsel at the Access Now digital rights group. \u201cWhile the trial will continue on how much damages NSO should pay, the partial summary judgment is a major win for WhatsApp, civil society, and Pegasus victims around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Officials at Meta, the parent company at WhatsApp, also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@wcathcart\/post\/DD0iQ7uSAPu\">celebrated the ruling<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis ruling is a huge win for privacy,\u201d Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, said on Threads. \u201cWe spent five years presenting our case because we firmly believe that spyware companies could not hide behind immunity or avoid accountability for their unlawful actions. Surveillance companies should be on notice that illegal spying will not be tolerated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Added Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg: \u201cProud that we fought for this and that WhatsApp continues to lead on privacy and encryption \ud83d\udcaa\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson for NSO Group said the company had no comment at this time.<\/p>\n<p>WhatsApp accused NSO Group of sending malware to infect around 1,400 mobile phones and devices. NSO Group contended, in part, that the plaintiffs lacked personal jurisdiction to bring the suit, citing other cases that had been dismissed.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe key distinction in all of those cases appears to be the citizenship\/residency of the plaintiffs,\u201d Hamilton wrote. \u201cIn this case, defendants do not dispute that plaintiffs are citizens of the United States and residents of this district, making the cited cases inapposite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Krapiva said the ruling should force other spyware companies to \u201ctake notice. The wheels of justice are slow, but the period of impunity for spyware purveyors and abusers is winding down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7.7216117216117\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Tim Starks\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__details\" readability=\"10.901098901099\">\n<h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Tim Starks<\/h4>\n<p> Tim Starks is senior reporter at CyberScoop. His previous stops include working at The Washington Post, POLITICO and Congressional Quarterly. An Evansville, Ind. native, he’s covered cybersecurity since 2003. Email Tim here: <a href=\"mailto:tim.starks@cyberscoop.com\">tim.starks@cyberscoop.com<\/a>. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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{"id":6726,"date":"2024-12-23T13:07:13","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T19:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=82972"},"modified":"2024-12-23T13:07:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T19:07:13","slug":"judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/12\/23\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge grants ruling in favor of WhatsApp against spyware firm NSO Group"},"content":{"rendered":"