Meta platforms has won a US$168 million verdict against Israeli surveillance company NSO Group, concluding a six-year legal battle. This decision was announced by a jury in California on May 6, 2025.

The jury awarded Meta US$444,719 in compensatory damages and US$167.3 million in punitive damages.

The case was from NSO’s exploitation of a vulnerability in WhatsApp, which allowed the installation of spyware on users’ devices, as determined by a ruling in December.

NSO Group said it would review the verdict and consider its legal options, including an appeal.

The company is known for its surveillance software, which has been criticized for alleged use in tracking criminal activities in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Poland.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ A landmark verdict in the broader legal battle against surveillance technology

The Meta-NSO verdict represents a pivotal moment in the evolving legal landscape confronting commercial spyware vendors globally.

This case is the first major legal victory against a spyware developer, potentially creating important legal precedent for holding surveillance companies accountable for their products’ deployment 1.

The six-year legal battle included a significant Supreme Court ruling that denied NSO’s claim of sovereign immunity, establishing that such companies cannot hide behind their government clients to avoid litigation 2.

This judgment joins other ongoing legal challenges against surveillance firms, including cases brought against Saudi Arabia for using Pegasus to surveil dissidents like Ghanem Almasarir, and Omar Abdulaziz’s lawsuit alleging NSO aided in spying on his communications with Jamal Khashoggi 2.

The legal theory underlying Meta’s successful case—that exploitation of platform vulnerabilities violates computer fraud laws—provides a template that other technology companies might follow in pursuing spyware vendors.

The case also revealed NSO’s substantial technical capabilities, including a 140-person research team with a $50 million budget partly dedicated to exploiting security vulnerabilities in smartphones.

2️⃣ Tech platforms mount coordinated defense against surveillance industry

Meta’s lawsuit represents part of a growing trend of major technology companies actively fighting back against commercial surveillance technologies that target their users.