Meta awarded $167.25 million over Pegasus spyware attack

NSO Group, the Israeli spyware-maker down Pegasus, must wage Meta $167.25 million for hacking 1,400 users crossed WhatsApp. A national assemblage successful California made the determination connected Tuesday aft the tribunal found the NSO Group liable for the attacks past year.

Meta sued NSO Group successful 2019 aft Citizen Lab recovered a vulnerability that allowed the spyware vendor to instal Pegasus done a telephone telephone – adjacent if users didn’t prime up. Pegasus could past crook connected a user’s camera and microphone, look done emails and substance messages, and entree determination information. The hack targeted activists, journalists, diplomats, and others. Apple has besides sued the NSO Group for targeting iPhone users with Pegasus.

The assemblage besides awarded Meta $444,719 successful compensatory damages. “Today’s verdict successful WhatsApp’s lawsuit is an important measurement guardant for privateness and information arsenic the archetypal triumph against the improvement and usage of amerciable spyware that threatens the information and privateness of everyone,” Meta said successful an announcement. “The jury’s determination to unit NSO, a notorious overseas spyware merchant, to wage damages is simply a captious deterrent to this malicious industry.”

Going forward, Meta volition effort to unafraid a tribunal bid preventing the NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp. It has besides published the unofficial transcripts from deposition videos during the trial, and says it volition marque a donation to integer rights organizations moving to support users from spyware.

NSO Group spokesperson Gil Lainer says the institution “will cautiously analyse the verdict’s details and prosecute due ineligible remedies, including further proceedings and an appeal.”

Update, May 6th: Added accusation from NSO Group.