BREAKING: jury awards massive $167 million in punitive damages against spyware company NSO Group.
Precedent-setting win against the notorious #Pegasus spyware maker.
Congratulations to @WhatsApp on sticking this case through since 2019. Some thoughts 1/
Precedent-setting win against the notorious #Pegasus spyware maker.
Congratulations to @WhatsApp on sticking this case through since 2019. Some thoughts 1/
2/ After years of every trick & delay tactic it only took a California jury one days deliberation to the heart of the matter:
NSO makes millions hacking mostly-🇺🇸American tech companies... so that dictators can hack dissidents.
Their conduct deserved to be punished.
NSO makes millions hacking mostly-🇺🇸American tech companies... so that dictators can hack dissidents.
Their conduct deserved to be punished.
3/ NSO Group emerges from the trial severely damaged.
The verdict ($167,256,000 punitive, $440K+ compensatory) is big enough to make your eyes water.
The case is ALSO a huge blow to NSO's secrecy, with their business splashed all over a courtroom.
This will scare customers...
The verdict ($167,256,000 punitive, $440K+ compensatory) is big enough to make your eyes water.
The case is ALSO a huge blow to NSO's secrecy, with their business splashed all over a courtroom.
This will scare customers...
4/ Rewind to 2019.
About this time (April-May) @WhatsApp catches NSO Group hacking its users with #Pegasus across the messenger.
They investigated.
We @citizenlab also helped to investigate the victims get in touch with the many activists journalists etc.
There were many.
About this time (April-May) @WhatsApp catches NSO Group hacking its users with #Pegasus across the messenger.
They investigated.
We @citizenlab also helped to investigate the victims get in touch with the many activists journalists etc.
There were many.
5/ Prior to @WhatsApp engaging, NSO acted the playground bully.
Targeting victims that dared speak up & researchers like us.
Suddenly, the bully met their match.
To the eternal credit of leadership at Meta & WhatsApp, they stuck this fight out & carried this case across the finish line.
Targeting victims that dared speak up & researchers like us.
Suddenly, the bully met their match.
To the eternal credit of leadership at Meta & WhatsApp, they stuck this fight out & carried this case across the finish line.
6/ Back in 2019 no country had sanctioned NSO Group...
There had been no parliamentary hearings, no hearings in congress, no serious investigations.
WhatsApp's lawsuit helped carry momentum at a critical time, and showed governments that their tech sectors were in the crosshairs from mercenary spyware too...
There had been no parliamentary hearings, no hearings in congress, no serious investigations.
WhatsApp's lawsuit helped carry momentum at a critical time, and showed governments that their tech sectors were in the crosshairs from mercenary spyware too...
7/ WhatsApp's choice to notify was also hugely consequential.
A LOT of cases were first surfaced from these notifications.
With dissidents around the world suddenly learning that dictators were snooping in their phones...with NSO Group's help.
They also set the tone for notifications that followed...
A LOT of cases were first surfaced from these notifications.
With dissidents around the world suddenly learning that dictators were snooping in their phones...with NSO Group's help.
They also set the tone for notifications that followed...
8/ Transparency: Note that I made a slight typo in Tweet #3: correct punitive damages are: $167,254,000 (not $167,256,000).
9/ A sidebar to this verdict for us @citizenlab.
One of NSO's many tactics was to leverage the case badger us researchers for months to try and extract information.
It never worked, but it is a reminder of the kinds of tactics that these firms prefer...instead of coming clean.
theintercept.com/2024/05/06/peg…
One of NSO's many tactics was to leverage the case badger us researchers for months to try and extract information.
It never worked, but it is a reminder of the kinds of tactics that these firms prefer...instead of coming clean.
theintercept.com/2024/05/06/peg…
10/ For a long time there a handful of us doing mercenary spyware research.
Having @WhatsApp independently do serious investigating & publicly attribute hacking to NSO Group was huge for helping the rest of the world see the severity of the issue.
Thankfully, today this has changed.
Having @WhatsApp independently do serious investigating & publicly attribute hacking to NSO Group was huge for helping the rest of the world see the severity of the issue.
Thankfully, today this has changed.
11/ Ultimately, we wouldn't be here without civil society investigations of mercenary spyware... and alarm raising.
Thankfully today there's a whole accountability ecosystem growing around this work.
Dozens of orgs engaging.
Numbers are growing.
Pictured: just some of us
Thankfully today there's a whole accountability ecosystem growing around this work.
Dozens of orgs engaging.
Numbers are growing.
Pictured: just some of us
@WhatsApp @citizenlab 13/ For me personally, watching a jury of regular citizens see right through NSO's mendacity & hypocrisy and to the need to protect privacy... amazing.
14/ OH WOW, @WhatsApp is publishing the transcribed NSO Group Depositions.
This is an unprecedented view for investigators into NSO's business, exploit development, operations & financials.
Nothing like this has ever been made public about any spyware company.
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
This is an unprecedented view for investigators into NSO's business, exploit development, operations & financials.
Nothing like this has ever been made public about any spyware company.
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
✅about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
@WhatsApp @citizenlab 15/ WHOA: @whatsapp states intention to donate to support digital rights groups working to support targets of spyware attacks.
about.fb.com/news/2025/05/w…
about.fb.com/news/2025/05/w…
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