Judge limits evidence about NSO Group customers, victims in damages trial | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"A U.S. judge limits what evidence NSO Group can present in the WhatsApp spyware trial, blocking arguments about suspected criminal targets and focusing the case on NSO\u2019s conduct.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/whatsapp-nso-group-trial-judge-limits-evidence-2025\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Judge limits evidence about NSO Group customers, victims in damages trial\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A U.S. judge limits what evidence NSO Group can present in the WhatsApp spyware trial, blocking arguments about suspected criminal targets and focusing the case on NSO\u2019s conduct.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/whatsapp-nso-group-trial-judge-limits-evidence-2025\/\"> <meta 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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--event js-stickybar\">\n<div class=\"stickybar__details\" readability=\"4.9180327868852\">\n<div class=\"stickybar__info js-sticky-bar-content\" readability=\"32\">\n<p>Voting is open for the 2025 CyberScoop 50 awards!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <a class=\"stickybar__link button button-tertiary\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cyberscoop50\/\">Click here!<\/a> <\/div>\n<p> <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=\"25.628626692456\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.271186440678\">\n<p> The ruling strikes at NSO Group\u2019s fundamental strategy in the case, one observer noted. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/84242\/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\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial.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\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-2.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-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 in 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=\"30.550131540485\"><body readability=\"62.661437908497\"><\/p>\n<p>A federal judge last week placed strict limits on the kind of evidence NSO Group can raise during a trial on damages in the lawsuit WhatsApp brought against the spyware vendor over allegations it hacked 1,400 of the messaging platform\u2019s users.<\/p>\n<p>Under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/docket\/16395340\/686\/whatsapp-inc-v-nso-group-technologies-limited\/\">the order<\/a>, NSO Group is prohibited from presenting evidence about its customers\u2019 identities, implying the targeted WhatsApp users are suspected or actual criminals, or alleging that WhatsApp had insufficient security protections.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a ruling that strikes at NSO Group\u2019s fundamental strategy in the case, said Natalia Krapiva, senior tech-legal counsel at Access Now. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis ruling is a win not just for WhatsApp but also for WhatsApp\u2019s users who were victims of Pegasus hacking,\u201d she said. \u201cNSO\u2019s strategy has been to try to attack the reputation of civil society victims, claiming that they were in fact criminals and terrorists and therefore deserved to be hacked. The court\u2019s ruling will make it very difficult for NSO to launch such attacks. The trial will have to be focused on the conduct of NSO Group, not its clients or victims. As it should.\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>NSO Group has revealed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.courthousenews.com\/fiery-hearing-reveals-details-about-israeli-spyware-companys-clients\/\">some client information<\/a> as part of the case.<\/p>\n<p>In making her ruling, Northern District of California Judge Phyllis Hamilton said NSO Group undercut its arguments to use evidence about its customers with contradictory statements.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefendants cannot claim, on the one hand, that its intent is to help its clients fight terrorism and child exploitation, and on the other hand say that it has nothing to do with what its client does with the technology, other than advice and support,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAdditionally, there is no evidence as to the specific kinds of crimes or security threats that its clients actually investigate and none with respect to the attacks at issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hamilton <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/judge-grants-ruling-in-favor-of-whatsapp-against-spyware-firm-nso-group\/\">ruled in favor<\/a> of WhatsApp last December in an unprecedented legal blow against NSO Group. Courts have proven <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/spyware-court-cases-nso-group-meta-whatsapp-apple\/\">a difficult avenue<\/a> to challenge spyware makers.<\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for the Israel-based firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling Monday afternoon.<\/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>\u201cFor over five years NSO has tried every trick in the book to delay these trial proceedings and hide potential evidence while simultaneously demanding other parties to disclose sensitive information that is not relevant to the trial,\u201d Krapiva said. \u201cThe court has been extremely patient with NSO and gave it a lot of benefit of a doubt. But it looks like the patience has run out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NSO Group, too, won some concessions in the ruling. WhatsApp cannot introduce evidence of the identities and occupations of the 1,400 targets, nor evidence about other lawsuits against NSO over the use of Pegasus related to the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. WhatsApp did not oppose the second motion, and the first motion was rendered moot by the ruling on limitations on NSO Group \u2014 WhatsApp had said it would want to respond if NSO Group introduced evidence of criminal behavior by WhatsApp users.<\/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\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial-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":7554,"date":"2025-04-21T13:18:28","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T18:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=84242"},"modified":"2025-04-21T13:18:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T18:18:28","slug":"judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2025\/04\/21\/judge-limits-evidence-about-nso-group-customers-victims-in-damages-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Judge limits evidence about NSO Group customers, victims in damages trial"},"content":{"rendered":"