Judges strike skeptical note of NSO Group\u2019s argument to dismiss case from El Salvadoran journos | CyberScoop<\/title> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/nso-group-spyware-case-el-salvadoran-journalists\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Judges strike skeptical note of NSO Group\u2019s argument to dismiss case from El Salvadoran journos\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dada et al v. NSO Group has been one of many cases where alleged spyware victims have run into jurisdictional hurdles.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/nso-group-spyware-case-el-salvadoran-journalists\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/cyberscoop\/\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-10T19:30:49+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-10T19:30:52+00:00\"> <meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg\"> <meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\"> <meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1280\"> <meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\"> <meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tim Starks\"> <meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\"> 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href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/nso-group-spyware-case-el-salvadoran-journalists\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.330022075055\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.243902439024\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/nso-group-spyware-case-el-salvadoran-journalists\/\"> <span>Technology<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> Dada et al v. NSO Group has been one of many cases where alleged spyware victims have run into jurisdictional hurdles. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/84166\/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\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos.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\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-2.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> PromesaArtStudio, iStock\/Getty Images Plus <\/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=\"38.192820923405\"><body readability=\"77.589698565994\"><\/p>\n<p>A panel of U.S. judges considering an appeal of a ruling that went against El Salvadoran journalists suing NSO Group over alleged infections of their phone by the company\u2019s Pegasus spyware appeared more skeptical Thursday of the vendor\u2019s arguments than those of the reporters.<\/p>\n<p>Judge James Donato of the District Court for the Northern District of California granted NSO Group\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/66575274\/78\/dada-v-nso-group-technologies-limited\/\">motion to dismiss<\/a> the suit last year in Dada et al v. NSO Group, concluding that a different court venue would make more sense for a case involving an Israeli company and plaintiffs who almost exclusively lived and worked outside the United States.<\/p>\n<p>The three judges in the appeal focused many of their questions, however, on where the \u201cmisconduct\u201d occurred, with the plaintiffs making the argument that it happened via Apple servers in California and the defendants arguing that the allegations of misconduct would have occurred in El Salvador.<\/p>\n<p>The case is one of several where jurisdictional questions have <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/spyware-court-cases-nso-group-meta-whatsapp-apple\/\">thrown up hurdles<\/a> to spyware victims\u2019 legal challenges.<\/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>Judge Michael Simon on Thursday brought up a since-abandoned case that Apple itself brought against NSO Group in the same district, the location of which was tied to the tech giant\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe actual misconduct, the hacking, occurred there, which is the same hacking at issue in this case, even if the harm sort of transpired elsewhere,\u201d Simon said. \u201cThe misconduct at issue seems to actually have a locus in California.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Attorney Paul Watford, arguing on NSO Group\u2019s behalf, answered that the situation was different because \u201cApple was the target of the defendant\u2019s conduct, allegedly,\u201d and that \u201chere, the target of the defendant\u2019s conduct is allegedly against these El Salvadoran journalists in El Salvador. That\u2019s where the misconduct occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Judge Jennifer Sung followed up, pointing out that the plaintiffs say they were harmed because of something that happened in the Northern District of California. In addition to other reasons tied to hosting a trial with multiple parties, \u201cthat\u2019s why it made sense to me\u201d that the plaintiffs \u201cwould choose Northern California,\u201d Sung said.<\/p>\n<p>Watford pushed back that the location of Apple servers is \u201cnot the nub of the dispute,\u201d but rather that \u201cthis litigation involves attacks on foreign journalists in foreign countries by foreign actors.\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>Elaborating on behalf of the plaintiffs, Knight First Amendment Institute attorney Carrie DeCell said the allegations are fundamentally linked to the defendants\u2019 use of Apple ID accounts, vulnerabilities in Apple software and the infection of iPhones through Pegasus. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo it is abundantly clear,\u201d she said, \u201cthat we have alleged that defendants targeted Apple both in the plan of the exploits and then the deployment of Pegasus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A group of large tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, filed <a href=\"https:\/\/media.orrick.com\/Media%20Library\/public\/files\/insights\/2024\/dada-v-nso-amicus-brief.pdf\">a friend of the court brief<\/a> with the defendants arguing that they, the U.S. government and state of California have a valid stake in the case over the cybersecurity of their products.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe United States and California \u2026 have fundamental interests in preventing the proliferation of such spyware tools that threaten national security and in protecting U.S. technology companies from hackers (both foreign and domestic) exploiting their products and services,\u201d it states.<\/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\/2025\/04\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos-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":7536,"date":"2025-04-10T14:30:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T19:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=84166"},"modified":"2025-04-10T14:30:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T19:30:49","slug":"judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/04\/10\/judges-strike-skeptical-note-of-nso-groups-argument-to-dismiss-case-from-el-salvadoran-journos\/","title":{"rendered":"Judges strike skeptical note of NSO Group\u2019s argument to dismiss case from El Salvadoran journos"},"content":{"rendered":"