US Court Bars NSO Group from Targeting WhatsApp Users
A US federal court granted an injunction barring Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users after finding the company had reverse-engineered WhatsApp's code to install Pegasus spyware. The court reduced a $168 million damages award to $4 million, ruling NSO's behavior fell short of a \"particularly egregious\" standard needed to support the jury's award.
What happened
NSO Group reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install Pegasus spyware targeting users. The spyware was repeatedly redesigned to escape detection and bypass security fixes at WhatsApp.
The lawsuit, filed in late 2019, accused NSO Group of cyberespionage targeting journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and others using the encrypted messaging service. The suit contended that NSO tried to infect approximately 1,400 "target devices" with malicious software to steal valuable information.
Reported impact
The court concluded that NSO Group's conduct causes irreparable harm and is ongoing. WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart stated that NSO's spyware accessed user data unlawfully.
Index analysis
District Judge Phyllis Hamilton ruled on October 18, 2025, that NSO Group's behavior fell short of a "particularly egregious" standard needed to support damages calculations. Hamilton noted there have not yet been enough cases involving unlawful electronic surveillance in the smartphone era to reach such a conclusion.
Governance controls
The court granted WhatsApp owner Meta an injunction barring NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users. Hamilton reduced a jury damages award of $168 million to $4 million, finding the higher amount excessive.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.