Jury orders NSO to pay $167 million for hacking WhatsApp users

The verdict is a major victory for opponents of exploit sellers.

See full article...

 

[Unclebugs]

While this is positive news, how will Meta compensate all those users whose privacy was violated?

 

[cheesecakegood]

I feel like this is a good lesson that governments should keep their outright hacking in-house. Letting private companies wield this power seems like a fundamental mistake, not a check and balance!

 

[Fatesrider]

NSO argued that it should be immune from such legal actions because it sold tools solely to licensed government intelligence and law-enforcement agencies for use in fighting terrorism, child sex abuse, and other serious crimes.

Gonna bet that's a fucking lie. They sell them to anyone who SAYS they're a licensed government intelligence and law-enforcement agency as long as they cough up the cash.

Because clearly, the people using their products don't follow laws, enable terrorism and worse.

 

[Linux-Is-Best]

While this is positive news, how will Meta compensate all those users whose privacy was violated?

With appeals upon appeals until many of the people who could have complained, have died from old age. And if backed into the corner, they will have long made up the difference, and this little fine will seem like the cost of doing business.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

Fuck NSO, cellebrite, and all the other spyware companies happy to take money to enable evil.

 

[Shenaneggans]

at least something nice happened for a change

 

[gavron]

20250507 0300z

I'm timestamping this (something ChatGPT-4o can't do) so that later I can say "at this time I predicted NSO will NEVER PAY ANYTHING in this case."

You heard it here. NSO will NEVER PAY ANYTHING in this case.

Have a great day. Also don't confuse my prognostication with judgment on what's right, wrong, ethical, stupid, malware, etc. I'm not getting into that because people know people.

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

at least something nice happened for a change

Until their CEO bitches to Netanyahu who bitches to Trump, who'll do god knows what

 

[Cap'nAwesome]

The jury also awarded WhatsApp $444 million in compensatory damages.

So I assume that $444 million will be split equally amongst the actual victims? Right? Right...?

 

[chanman819]

Gonna bet that's a fucking lie. They sell them to anyone who SAYS they're a licensed government intelligence and law-enforcement agency as long as they cough up the cash.

Because clearly, the people using their products don't follow laws, enable terrorism and worse.

Even if it's the truth, it's not like people at legitimate agencies haven't been caught red-handed either abusing their powers or working on behalf of criminal groups.

 

[Bigdoinks]

So does this bankrupt NSO? That would be great.

 

[Mrbonk]

Until their CEO bitches to Netanyahu who bitches to Trump, who'll do god knows what

This was similar to my thoughts reading the article. Orange rapist will frame it as some anti semitic attack on Israel's great amazing beautiful national security software company protecting the world from bad brown people everywhere! And then he will call Zuck The Cuck and tell him to cut it the fuck out if he knows what's good for him!

 

[johnd_2]

Will never happen. Trump will just forgive them their trespasses.

BTW, did people notice how Australia slapped down RWNJs at the election last weekend?

 

[RunUpHill]

Hey NSO -- there's a tar pit just over that way. How about you walk into it and disappear forever?

 

[MyBloodyBallantine]

While this is positive news, how will Meta compensate all those users whose privacy was violated?

6 months of free credit monitoring.

 

[macosandlinux]

That will show them - not. Lawyers win, NSO charges next few customers a few millions more, the scum lives on.

 

[docfish]

20250507 0300z

I'm timestamping this (something ChatGPT-4o can't do) so that later I can say "at this time I predicted NSO will NEVER PAY ANYTHING in this case."

Not disagreeing with you on the payment bit, but uh the comment itself has a timestamp and I'm not sure how you are apparently spiting chatgpt by adding one manually? Especially since at no point in the article did chatgpt even come up?

 

[Derecho Imminent]

Israel should be ashamed.

 

[LeftCoastRusty]

Jeez. I kind of forgot how to respond to a positive judicial ruling and judgement.

The Roberts court has taken my trust in our judicial system and beat said trust to a pulp. It’s on life support.

 

[uopx]

So I assume that $444 million will be split equally amongst the actual victims? Right? Right...?

Of course. Fair and square.
50% to the lawyers.
50% to Meta.

 

[BerylliumCopperSphere]

So I assume that $444 million will be split equally amongst the actual victims? Right? Right...?

No. It will all go to the lawyers. The victims might get a worthless coupon.

 

[jesse1]

I feel like this is a good lesson that governments should keep their outright hacking in-house. Letting private companies wield this power seems like a fundamental mistake, not a check and balance!

thats missing the point of externalizing the risk for violating rights

 

[noteonleaf]

While this is positive news, how will Meta compensate all those users whose privacy was violated?

Somehow I read articles like this :

WhatsApp security sistem need to be violated (hack/damage) in order to reach "selected target user", so that why WhatsApp ask for compensation.

While "certain users" clearly as real target here but "3rd party that selling" a way to pass WhatsApp security first are real problem here.

Or am I wrong?

 

[Frodo Douchebaggins]

Israel should be ashamed.

Of one of their companies getting caught?

 

[J.D.M]

So does this bankrupt NSO? That would be great.

The easiest thing to do for them.
Then register a company called NSO-2 and transfer all the assets. Since their most prized assets are human (not hardware, properties, cars etc.) they can't be sold to cover the costs.

 

[Jack56]

 

[RZetopan]

No. It will all go to the lawyers. The victims might get a worthless coupon.

For 10% off on a Felon45 style cheeseburger (the fries and a diet coke are extra).

 

[Bungle_00]

Until their CEO bitches to Netanyahu who bitches to Trump, who'll do god knows what

Trump will probably put a tariff on WhatsApp messages that originate outside of the US.

 

[mbedford84]

While this is positive news, how will Meta compensate all those users whose privacy was violated?

They will kindly collect and hold all of your data for you.

 

[mihail_pramatarov]

Israel should be ashamed.

they have branches in east european countries, where not very high payed programmers are playing in the grey zone between white and black hats. mostly black.

 

[Erbium168]

Israel should be ashamed.

Sadly, Zionists (as distinct from Jewish people in general) have no shame at all, which is how they are able to push pure and simple property developer land grab as authorised by the same God that instructed his people to look after widows and orphans.

 

[Nightdweller]

Im torn between my hatred of meta to my hatred of nso..


..not to mention the irony of meta suing anyone for privacy..

 

[Nightdweller]

So I assume that $444 million will be split equally amongst the actual victims? Right? Right...?

Shared equally by relative wealth

 

[dcdp]

So new business plan is:
1. Write communications platform with security holes
2. Grow users
3. Wait til private security company hacks it
4. Profit?

 

[joncaplan]

While NSO may have only sold to law enforcement agencies as they say, they chose to sell to repressive governments who systematically repress human rights and see journalists as a threat. NSO endangered real people who took personal risks to do good for the benefit of their countries.

 

[AdrianS]

Israel should be ashamed.

Since they are gleefully ethnically cleansing Gaza, and have gloried in the deaths they cause, why the fuck would they be ashamed of making a little money on the side with spyware?

I don't think the current Israeli government even knows what shame is, let alone being capable of feeling it.

 

[Erbium168]

Since they are gleefully ethnically cleansing Gaza, and have gloried in the deaths they cause, why the fuck would they be ashamed of making a little money on the side with spyware?

I don't think the current Israeli government even knows what shame is, let alone being capable of feeling it.

There has always been a conflict between the genocidal Hebrews (see the invasion of Canaan) who never managed to live at peace with their neighbours, and the Prophets who were constantly telling the rulers to be kind to widows and orphans, not to engage in ritual sacrifices, and not to attack foreigners, all the way from the Elisha/Naaman story to the Good Samaritan.
Currently the bad guys are on top but I sense that, too late and too slowly, the other side is finding its voice. In a rare bit of hope, a sixth of the Board of Deputies co-signed the letter to the Jewish Chronicle saying that the destruction of Gaza had to stop. When al this started, they were nowhere to be seen.
For much of its history before the Dispersal, Israel was what today we would call a rogue State with the odd interval (Solomon).