A U.S. federal judge has ordered Israeli spyware developer NSO Group to pay $167 million in damages to Meta over a targeted attack on WhatsApp users using its Pegasus spyware. The court also compelled NSO to hand over the source code for Pegasus and other related spyware tools.
This marks a major legal and financial setback for NSO, best known for Pegasus—a surveillance tool capable of silently hacking into iPhones by sending a single message. Victims don’t need to open or interact with the message for their devices to be compromised. Pegasus can extract messages, emails, photos, microphone data, and location history without detection.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, filed the lawsuit in 2019 after uncovering that Pegasus was used to attack around 1,400 users over two weeks. The U.S. District Court ruled in Meta’s favor, requiring NSO to submit all spyware used between April 2018 and May 2020, along with documentation explaining their full capabilities.
Court Ruling Expands Pressure on NSO
Judge Phyllis Hamilton’s decision forces NSO to disclose technical details it long resisted. WhatsApp will receive not only Pegasus’s code but also that of any spyware used in the year before and after the attack window. The ruling is part of an ongoing civil case, which will proceed after NSO complies.
According to The Guardian, the court’s order is a “major legal victory” for Meta. NSO had argued against turning over its tools, citing national security concerns and client confidentiality. The judge dismissed these arguments.
NSO Faces Escalating Global Scrutiny
NSO’s legal defeat comes on top of mounting international pressure. The U.S. government blacklisted the company in 2021, banning American firms from doing business with it. That decision cut NSO off from U.S. law enforcement agencies, once its primary customers. Apple also sued NSO and began alerting iPhone users targeted by Pegasus, further isolating the company.
Apple has introduced a Lockdown Mode on iPhones to protect high-risk users, including journalists, politicians, and activists, by closing off common points of entry used by spyware.
The U.S. government recently imposed visa restrictions on foreign nationals involved in the misuse of spyware, signaling a broader crackdown on commercial surveillance tools.
As reported by The Guardian and confirmed in court filings, the NSO Group’s future now hangs in the balance—not just legally, but financially. The judgment strengthens Meta’s position and may serve as a warning to other private surveillance firms operating in legal gray zones.