WhatsApp Wins Injunction Against NSO Group, Fine Reduced
So, the legal battle between WhatsApp and NSO Group has taken another turn. You know, that whole situation where NSO Group, an Israeli cyberintelligence firm, was accused of targeting WhatsApp users? Well, a federal judge has stepped in, granting WhatsApp a permanent injunction. This means NSO Group is now officially blocked from messing with WhatsApp's users.
That's a pretty big win for WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta. However, there's a twist. While WhatsApp got the injunction they wanted, the fine NSO Group has to pay has been significantly reduced.
Originally, after a lengthy trial, the jury decided NSO Group should cough up over $167 million for targeting more than 1,400 WhatsApp users back in 2019. I'm talking about human rights activists, journalists – people who really rely on secure communication. But the judge felt that the evidence didn't quite justify such a hefty fine, because there was no enough evidence to determine that NSO Group’s behavior was “particularly egregious”.
Consequently, the judge reduced the fine to around $4 million.
Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, said that the ruling “bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again.”
From what I understand, NSO Group has confirmed that it’s being acquired by U.S. investors. What impact will this have? Only time will tell.
Source: TechCrunch