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A federal judge in California ruled that the spyware vendor does not have sovereign immunity.
Facebook’s lawsuit against NSO Group over alleged spying on WhatsApp users will be allowed to go forward.
WhatsApp-owner Facebook is alleging that NSO Group exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp to deploy its spyware against human rights activists, journalists and political dissidents.
A federal judge in California ruled that NSO Group does not have immunity from legal action. The controversial Israeli firm, known for the development of the Pegasus spyware, had argued that because its clients are sovereign nations that can’t face civil charges in the U.S., it should benefit from a derivative immunity that would allow it to withhold information about its clients from the court.
The decision means that the firm will be required to comply with subpoenas and reveal information about its spy activities and potentially about global governments’ use of its malware.
“We are pleased with the...