NSO To Pay $168 Million In Damages To WhatsApp For Pegasus Spyware Hacking
Yesterday, May 6, 2025, a California jury found that NSO Group should pay $447,719 in compensatory damages and a staggering $167,254,000 in punitive damages for targeting WhatsApp's infrastructure with Pegasus spyware. This is the first time NSO, which has been at the center of human rights violations against journalists, activists, and dissidents around the world, is to pay damages for its hacking operations.
The decision comes after a weeklong trial and a six-year bitter legal battle between the notorious Israeli spyware company and U.S. Big Tech giant Meta. In January 2025, the U.S. District Court of Northern California judge ruled in a historic summary judgment decision that NSO violated federal and California state hacking statutes and breached WhatsApp's Terms of Service, leaving the jury to decide only on how much damages NSO would have to pay.
'Today's verdict against NSO is an enormous victory for digital rights and for victims of Pegasus spyware around the world,' said Natalia Krapiva, Senior Tech Legal Counsel at Access Now. 'Congratulations to Meta for sticking with their lawsuit and holding NSO to account. We urge other companies whose infrastructure and users are targeted by NSO and other spyware companies to explore filing similar legal actions.'
For the past six years, Access Now and civil society partners have been advocating for accountability for NSO for targeting WhatsApp's users with Pegasus spyware. In December 2020, Access Now, along with partners, submitted an amicus brief highlighting the stories of civil society victims of NSO when the case was heard by the U.S. Federal 9th Circuit Court.
'This verdict sends a clear message to spyware companies that targeting people through U.S.-based platforms will come with a high price,' said Michael De Dora, U.S. Policy and Advocacy Manager at Access Now. 'It underscores the importance of U.S. institutions protecting the digital infrastructure and individuals that rely on it from unlawful surveillance.'
In November 2022, Access Now and partners asked the Solicitor General to consider NSO's human rights conduct when making recommendations to the U.S. Supreme Court about the case. After the 9th Circuit Court ruled against NSO and the Supreme Court denied hearing NSO's appeal, the case went back to the District Court in Northern California, resulting in today's verdict.
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