Tech Desk 
Oct 18, 2025
A US court has permanently banned Israeli spyware maker NSO Group from targeting users of WhatsApp, a popular messaging app with millions of users in Pakistan.
The app, owned by Meta Platforms, lets people send encrypted texts, calls, and videos, a feature that has made it one of the most trusted communication tools globally.
The ruling is part of WhatsApp’s long legal fight to protect user privacy and data security.
US court’s ruling on NSO Group
After determining that NSO Group’s spyware called Pegasus maintains the ability to infiltrate WhatsApp systems, District Judge Phyllis Hamilton issued a permanent injunction against NSO Group.
The court also concluded that NSO caused “irreparable harm” to the platform and its users.
However, the judge lowered WhatsApp's earlier damages award from $168 million to approximately $4 million, stating that the company's conduct did not meet the "particularly egregious" standard needed to impose higher penalties.
Meta’s Head of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, praised the decision, calling it a moment of accountability. “Today’s ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again,” he said.
The company had accused NSO of utilising malicious software to hack journalists, activists, and diplomats using WhatsApp servers in 2019.
The NSO Group has declared that it sells its Pegasus spyware only to government agencies with the purpose of surveilling criminals and terrorists.
Nonetheless, social actors, including human rights, media and democracy foundations, have been critical of the tool and its use in society.
