Meta says NSO violated anti-spyware law with new WhatsApp attack

Meta’s contempt of court articles were not available today. We have reached out to NSO Group and will update this article if it provides feedback.

Meta: NSO is bad, “continues to defy the US courts”

WhatsApp sued NSO in 2019, alleging that NSO used WhatsApp to send malware to about 1,400 phones and devices for the purpose of monitoring users.

“The evidence showed that the defendants modified WhatsApp’s code to create a modified version of the WhatsApp client software, which they used to install their app on their target devices via WhatsApp’s servers,” US District Judge Phyllis Hamilton said. he wrote in the order of permanent injunction. “The evidence also showed that the defendants had repeatedly modified their software to avoid detection and prevent the plaintiffs from planning.”

Meta said today that “his lawsuit has shown that NSO continues to develop spyware tools to connect to people’s devices… As a rogue company on the US government’s Entity List continues to defy US courts, existing restrictions must remain in place.”

NSO’s appeal to the 9th Circuit was denied in amicus brief was issued last month by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

“The proliferation of spying software around the world is a serious threat to freedom of expression and the press, which is a serious problem in the United States,” the Knight Institute said. “The technology involved in this case, NSO Group’s Pegasus, allows close monitoring of victims and clients of NSO Group.” Pegasus enables users to monitor their desired mobile phone, providing access to GPS location, contact information, text messages, calls, documents, web browsing history, messaging-protecting services in use, security, safety, and security. data.”