• NSO Group has been ordered to pay over $167 million for hacking 1,400 WhatsApp users.
• This ruling marks a pivotal victory against the illegal use of spyware.
• NSO Group claims its technology is essential for fighting serious crime and terrorism.
• The lawsuit came after evidence of Pegasus targeting activists and journalists.
• WhatsApp plans to donate collected damages to digital rights organizations.

A federal jury in California has ordered Israeli spyware firm NSO Group to pay WhatsApp and its parent company Meta a total of $167 million for hacking approximately 1,400 users in 2019. This verdict includes $167.25 million in punitive damages and $445,000 in compensatory damages, highlighting the court's stance against illegal spyware use, according to BBC and Anadolu Agency.

The NSO Group's Pegasus spyware enabled “zero-click” hacks, allowing it to infiltrate devices without user interaction, which has been alleged to support surveillance efforts against journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists. WhatsApp has described the ruling as a significant victory against threats to safety and privacy, according to The Hill and Anadolu Agency.

NSO Group’s legal team argued for sovereign immunity and the necessity of their technology in preventing serious crimes; however, this claim was dismissed by the court. Meta and WhatsApp view this ruling as a deterrent against future illegal acts by spyware firms, calling it an essential step for privacy protection. The company plans to allocate some awarded damages to digital rights organizations aimed at combating such attacks, according to The Hill and BBC.