U.S. Court Orders NSO Group to Pay $170 Million to WhatsApp in Landmark Spyware Case

A U.S. federal court has ordered Israeli spyware maker NSO Group to pay nearly $170 million in damages to WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta, for hacking around 1,400 user accounts in 2019—many belonging to journalists and civil society workers. The ruling marks a milestone in global efforts to hold spyware producers accountable and signals growing legal and financial pressure on NSO, long accused of enabling government surveillance of activists and dissidents. Meta said it will donate part of the award to digital rights groups and publish deposition materials to support future research on spyware abuses.

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