Meta wins more than $167 million in damages from spyware maker that targeted WhatsApp

A jury has ruled that the company behind the infamous Pegasus spyware must pay Meta more than $167 million in damages for spreading malware via WhatsApp. The ruling is a major victory for Meta after a years-long legal battle with NSO Group. Meta sued the NSO Group in 2019 over its Pegasus spyware. Meta said at the time that more than 1,400 people in 20 countries had been targeted, including journalists and human rights activists. The company said that the “highly sophisticated cyber attack” spread malware via video calls even when the calls went unanswered. Last year, a judge sided with Meta and found the Israeli company had violated the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Tuesday’s verdict followed a week-long jury trial to determine just how much NSO should pay in damages to Meta. The jury ultimately awarded Meta $444,719 in compensatory damages and $167,254,00 in punitive damages. In a statement, WhatsApp’s VP of Global Communications Carl Woog called the verdict “a critical deterren ... Read full article.