iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
WhatsApp scores a win in court case against Israeli spyware developer.
A US district judge has ordered Israeli spyware developer NSO Group to hand over the code for its Pegasus software.
The NSO Group is currently accused by Meta-owned WhatsApp of spying on 1,400 of its users in a case that has been running since 2019.
WhatsApp has alleged that Pegasus was used to spy on its users for a period of two weeks, intercepting even encrypted messages. The NSO Group has strongly resisted sharing its code; the Israeli government closely regulates the company’s software. As a part of its plea against the move, NSO made note of “various US and Israeli restrictions”.
But Judge Phyllis Hamilton decided against the spyware maker and ordered the NSO Group to produce “all relevant spyware” used by the company for one year on either side of the period of alleged spying.
The NSO Group must also hand over information “concerning the full functionality of the relevant spyware”, according to The Guardian.
“The recent court ruling is an important milestone in our long-running goal of protecting WhatsApp users against unlawful attacks. Spyware companies and other malicious actors need to understand they can be caught and will not be able to ignore the law,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in a widely reported statement.
Judge Hamilton did deliver one decision in the NSO Group’s favour, however. For now, the company will not be required to share information regarding its server-side infrastructure or the names of its clients.
The NSO group has so far declined to comment on the matter.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
