News Summary

WhatsApp has achieved a significant legal victory against the NSO Group, the creator of the Pegasus spyware. A federal judge in California ruled that NSO Group is liable for hacking into WhatsApp’s systems to distribute the spyware to around 1,400 mobile devices. The court found that NSO breached federal and California anti-hacking laws by exploiting WhatsApp’s servers to install Pegasus spyware on the devices of journalists, human rights activists, and political dissidents, among others. This ruling marks a landmark decision, holding a major spyware vendor accountable for violating US hacking laws. The decision resolves all issues related to NSO Group’s liability, with further proceedings to determine the damages owed.