It’s Hard Not to Celebrate Meta’s $168 Million Spyware Win

I’m not usually one to cheer for Meta Platforms Inc., a purveyor of addictive applications, but it’s hard not to hail the seismic jolt the company just gave an even murkier world than social media: spyware. A California jury has awarded Meta’s WhatsApp $168 million in damages after its five-year legal battle against NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance firm. The case revolved around nations that used its Pegasus software to hack the WhatsApp accounts of 1,400 people, including journalists, activists and dissidents. Court transcripts revealed that some of those governments included Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Mexico, but the full extent of NSO’s clientele remains a mystery.

NSO was already struggling financially. Having once boasted a valuation of $2 billion, it was on the brink of insolvency in 2021 after being blacklisted by the US, which means this week’s huge payout could be the final straw despite its pledge to appeal. “We will carefully examine the verdict's details and pursue appropriate legal remedies,” a spokesman told me. He declined to comment on the company’s finances.