"A United States judge has granted an injunction barring Israeli spyware maker the NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users, saying the firm's software causes direct harm but slashed an earlier damages award of $168m to just $4m. In a ruling on Friday granting WhatsApp owner Meta an injunction to stop NSO's spyware from being used in the messaging service, district judge Phyllis Hamilton said the Israeli firm's conduct causes irreparable harm, adding that there was no dispute that the conduct is ongoing."
"Part of what companies such as WhatsApp are selling' is informational privacy, and any unauthorised access is an interference with that sale, she said. In her ruling, Hamilton said that evidence at trial showed that NSO reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install its spyware Pegasus on users' phones, and repeatedly redesigned it to escape detection and bypass security fixes. NSO was founded in 2010 and is based in the Israeli seaside tech hub of Herzliya, near Tel Aviv."
"Pegasus a highly invasive software marketed as a tool for law enforcement to fight crime and terrorism allows operators to remotely embed spyware in devices. NSO says it only sells the spyware to vetted and legitimate government law enforcement and intelligence agencies. But Meta, which owns WhatsApp, filed a lawsuit in California federal court in late 2019, accusing NSO of exploiting its encrypted messaging service to target journalists, lawyers and human rights activists with its spyware."
A U.S. district court granted an injunction barring the NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users, finding the firm's conduct causes irreparable harm and is ongoing. Trial evidence showed NSO reverse-engineered WhatsApp code to stealthily install Pegasus on users' phones and repeatedly redesigned the spyware to evade detection and bypass security fixes. Pegasus enables remote embedding of spyware in devices. NSO maintains it sells only to vetted government law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Meta filed suit in 2019 alleging exploitation of its encrypted messaging to target journalists, lawyers and human rights activists. The court reduced a prior $168m damages award to $4m.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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