Meta Wins $168 Million Verdict Against NSO
Meta Platforms has secured a $168 million decision against the Israeli surveillance company NSO, marking the conclusion of a six-year legal battle between the prominent U.S. social networking platform and the infamous spyware firm.
The case stemmed from NSO’s unlawful exploitation of a vulnerability in Meta’s messaging service, allowing the installation of spy software on users’ phones. A California judge recently ruled that NSO must pay $444,719 in compensatory damages, along with $167.3 million in punitive damages.
Meta noted in a statement that this ruling is a significant milestone for privacy and security, representing a crucial victory against the illegal spyware that jeopardizes individual safety and privacy.
In response, NSO mentioned that it would “carefully examine the details of the verdict and seek appropriate legal relief, including possible further litigation and appeals.”
Since gaining global attention in 2016, NSO has faced growing scrutiny. Natalia Krapiva, a senior attorney at the human rights group Access, characterized the company as synonymous with the surveillance industry and its misuse. While NSO claims its software has been utilized to track criminals, it has been implicated in serious violations of privacy worldwide, including in countries like Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Mexico.
The WhatsApp lawsuit was initiated in 2019 and has captured the attention of competitors in the surveillance tech sector and human rights advocates alike. Although victims of state-sponsored hacks often find it challenging to hold spyware providers accountable, there is a growing concern among these companies about facing legal repercussions for the misuse of their tools. Krapiva pointed out that the WhatsApp ruling illustrates this dual potential for accountability.
“It’s what you hope to see—spyware companies facing consequences for reckless or aggressive actions, just like NSO’s in this instance,” she stated.
This case has not only sent a warning to the spyware industry but has also revealed some internal workings of NSO. Evidence presented during the trial highlighted NSO’s robust research team of 140 members, with a budget of $50 million dedicated to exploiting security weaknesses in smartphones. The firm’s lawyers disclosed that their clients include governments from Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico.
The identities of NSO’s targets and clients remain largely obscured, as the company has resisted providing substantial evidence. Previously, District Judge Phyllis Hamilton criticized NSO for its “repeated failure to comply with court orders regarding such findings.” Reports indicated that Israeli authorities confiscated documents from NSO to prevent them from being submitted in U.S. courts.
“This entire case is shrouded in secrecy,” Hamilton remarked during the trial, expressing that there were numerous unknowns surrounding the situation.
