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US court bars Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp users

US court bars Israeli spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp users

Summary

A U.S. judge has stopped the Israeli company NSO Group from using its spyware on WhatsApp users, reducing a previous damages award from $168 million to $4 million. The court found that NSO's software caused harm by invading users' privacy. The decision follows a lawsuit by Meta, WhatsApp's owner, against NSO for targeting people like journalists and activists.

Key Facts

  • A U.S. court issued an order to stop NSO Group from using its spyware on WhatsApp.
  • NSO's spyware, called Pegasus, can secretly infiltrate smartphones.
  • The court reduced a previous damages award against NSO from $168 million to $4 million.
  • Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, sued NSO in 2019 for allegedly targeting its users.
  • Judge Phyllis Hamilton noted that NSO used advanced tactics to install its spyware without detection.
  • NSO claims it sells its spyware only to government agencies for law enforcement.
  • The judge did not extend the ban to other Meta platforms like Facebook and Instagram without additional evidence.
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