• A US court has issued a permanent injunction against the NSO Group, prohibiting it from accessing WhatsApp.
• The court reduced punitive damages from $168 million to $4 million, stating the initial amount was excessive.
• The injunction addresses ongoing allegations of NSO's reverse-engineering efforts to install spyware on user devices.
• WhatsApp leadership praised the decision as a significant victory for privacy and accountability.
• The ruling is a consequence of NSO's actions being deemed as causing "irreparable harm" to Meta's services.

A U.S. District Court has granted an injunction that bars the Israeli spyware company NSO Group from targeting WhatsApp users. The judge emphasized that NSO's conduct causes "irreparable harm" and that there is "no dispute that the conduct is ongoing," leading to this decisive legal action against the spyware firm, which has been under scrutiny for its use of invasive technologies, particularly the Pegasus spyware, according to Al Jazeera and The Jakarta Post.

Judge Phyllis Hamilton significantly reduced the previous jury award from about $168 million to just $4 million, asserting that the prior evaluation lacked sufficient basis and did not meet the standard of "particularly egregious" conduct required for such a high penalty. This reduction highlights the complexities of legal determinations regarding electronic surveillance in modern contexts, according to Reuters and India Times.

The evidence presented in court indicated that NSO had reverse-engineered WhatsApp's code to covertly install its spyware on user devices. This included creating methods to bypass security fixes and detect its presence on the platform, an act deemed detrimental to the established privacy policies of WhatsApp, as highlighted by The Jakarta Post and Al Jazeera.

Meta Platforms expressed satisfaction with the ruling, stating that it prevents NSO from "ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again." Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, labeled the decision a crucial victory for digital privacy and accountability, marking the end of a protracted six-year litigation process against NSO, according to Al Jazeera and The Jakarta Post.

NSO Group's future is uncertain as the ruling could jeopardize its business model, which has heavily relied on selling spyware to government entities claiming to combat serious crime and terrorism. The company stated its intent to review the court's decision while continuing to argue that their technology is vital for public safety, according to Reuters.