NSO Group Spyware Returns: WhatsApp Disrupts New Pegasus Campaign
WhatsApp has
announced that it successfully disrupted a new hacking campaign linked to NSO
Group, the Israeli spyware maker behind the notorious Pegasus surveillance
software. The messaging platform accused NSO Group of violating an earlier
court order that explicitly bars the company from targeting WhatsApp users with
its spyware.
WhatsApp is
seeking further legal action against NSO Group, which has been implicated in
surveillance operations targeting journalists, human rights activists, lawyers,
and political figures across multiple countries. The latest campaign represents
a fresh attempt to exploit WhatsApp's infrastructure despite ongoing legal
proceedings.
"This is
a direct violation of a court order and demonstrates NSO Group's willingness to
continue deploying dangerous surveillance tools against civilian targets,"
said a spokesperson from WhatsApp's parent company Meta.
The incident
has reignited calls for stronger international regulation of the commercial
spyware industry. Human rights organizations are urging governments to impose
stricter export controls on surveillance technologies and hold companies
accountable for the misuse of their products by authoritarian regimes and bad
actors.
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