NSO Group Faces $168 Million Penalty for WhatsApp Hack
Israel's NSO Group was fined $168 million by a U.S. jury for exploiting WhatsApp's servers to hack its users for foreign spy agencies. This verdict highlights the high costs and sophisticated nature of spyware, while exposing significant dealings between NSO and U.S. intelligence agencies.
Israel's NSO Group has been ordered to pay a substantial $168 million penalty by a California federal jury. The decision comes after the surveillance firm was found guilty of hijacking WhatsApp servers to spy on behalf of foreign agencies, following a protracted legal struggle with Meta, WhatsApp's parent company.
The trial unveiled the exorbitant pricing of elite spyware. Between 2018 and 2020, NSO charged European governments $7 million for hacking up to 15 devices simultaneously, with additional international hacking services costing up to $2 million more. "It is a highly sophisticated product," said Meta's attorney, Antonio Perez.
Revelations during the trial also documented that NSO was behind thousands of device breaches, with the FBI and CIA collectively paying the company $7.6 million. Despite ongoing legal battles, NSO continued attempting to breach WhatsApp, prompting Meta to seek a permanent injunction against the firm.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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