Wed May 07 03:47:05 UTC 2025: ## WhatsApp Wins $168 Million Verdict Against Spyware Firm NSO Group
**San Francisco, May 7, 2025** – A U.S. jury has ordered Israeli spyware firm NSO Group to pay WhatsApp $168 million in damages for deploying Pegasus spyware, a sophisticated surveillance tool capable of compromising smartphones and accessing private data. The verdict comes after a lawsuit filed by Meta-owned WhatsApp in 2019, alleging NSO Group’s actions constituted cyberespionage targeting journalists, lawyers, human rights activists, and others.
The trial revealed details of Pegasus’s operation, which involves covertly accessing a user’s phone to collect information from all installed apps, remotely activating cameras and microphones without user knowledge. The jury awarded WhatsApp $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167,254,000 in punitive damages.
NSO Group, which claims its technology aids in preventing serious crime and terrorism, plans to appeal the verdict. The company’s vice president for global communication, Gil Lainer, stated they would pursue legal remedies. However, evidence presented showed NSO spent millions annually developing methods to install malware through various platforms, exploiting vulnerabilities in messaging apps, browsers, and operating systems.
Independent experts have linked Pegasus to human rights abuses in several countries. Meta emphasized the continued threat posed by such spyware to the digital ecosystem, vowing to pursue legal action against similar vendors. The ruling underscores the growing concern over the use of sophisticated spyware and its impact on privacy and security globally.
First Piper 