Meta Platforms secured a $168 million verdict against the Israeli surveillance firm NSO, concluding a prolonged legal battle focused on unlawful exploitation of WhatsApp. A California jury's decision awarded Meta $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167.3 million in punitive damages. This case marked a pivotal moment for privacy advocates, being the first major ruling against illegal spyware operations. Despite NSO's claims of being a tool against crime, it faced accusations of enabling abuses globally. The outcome signals hope for accountability in the spyware industry, according to human-rights advocates.
Today's verdict in WhatsApp's case is an important step forward for privacy and security as the first victory against the development and use of illegal spyware that threatens the safety and privacy of everyone.
NSO has argued that its software is used to track terrorists and pedophiles, but has been implicated in abusive surveillance in many countries around the world.
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