Meta accuses NSO Group of violating US court order regarding WhatsApp

Meta has filed a new legal complaint in a US federal court accusing the NSO Group of violating a permanent injunction that prohibits the firm from targeting WhatsApp users. According to Meta, the company identified and blocked spear-phishing attempts and the creation of unauthorized test accounts by NSO, primarily targeting users in Jordan and Lebanon. The NSO Group is the developer of the Pegasus spyware, which has previously been identified in unauthorized access attempts against journalists and human rights activists. In 2019, Meta initiated legal action against the group, which resulted in a 2025 court order and a 4 million dollar judgment. Meta claims these recent activities demonstrate a direct violation of that court order. The current legal filing is supported by 12 human rights organizations and cybersecurity experts. While NSO Group claims to sell software only to government entities with Israeli defense ministry approval, it remains under US government sanctions for activities threatening national security.