A district court in California has found Israeli technology firm NSO Group responsible for targeting the devices of 1,400 users.
According to a report by WION, the ruling, which came five years after Meta-owned WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against the company in October 2019, states that NSO Group violated both the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the California Computer Data Access and Fraud Act. These laws criminalize unauthorized access to computer networks and digital information.
The court also ruled that NSO Group was liable for hacking and breach of contract, allowing the case to move forward to a trial focused solely on determining damages. WhatsApp emerged victorious in its claim that NSO Group had violated its terms of service.
However, the ruling does not address the rights of the individuals whose phones were hacked. Additionally, the court rejected NSO Group’s defense, which argued that it should not be held liable for the actions of its government clients, who directed the use of the software.
WhatsApp is a popular messaging app used for sending text messages, voice messages, making voice and video calls, sharing multimedia files (such as images, videos, and documents), and creating group chats. It is available on smartphones and offers end-to-end encryption for secure communication.
WhatsApp was launched in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton, former employees of Yahoo. Initially designed as a simple messaging platform, it quickly gained widespread popularity due to its ease of use, low cost (it uses an internet connection instead of traditional SMS), and privacy features. In 2014, it was acquired by Meta (formerly Facebook).
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