WhatsApp Accuses NSO of Fresh Pegasus Targeting
The Citizen Lab noted on June 19 that Meta's WhatsApp said it will ask a US court to hold NSO Group in contempt.
At a glance
- WhatsApp said it will ask a US court to hold NSO Group in contempt.
- The accusation involves NSO using WhatsApp to lure targets into downloading Pegasus spyware.
VERDICT — CONFIRMED
Meta's WhatsApp said it will ask a US court to hold NSO Group in contempt, accusing the Israeli spyware maker of "once again using WhatsApp to try to lure targets into downloading the surveillance spyware," per a June 19 Citizen Lab post.
A court order issued the previous year banned NSO Group from such practices, per the post, making the fresh Pegasus targeting allegation the basis for the planned contempt motion.
Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton said "NSO Group is behaving just like the dictators they service — treating US courts as something to bypass," per the post, adding that NSO "is doing an amazing job making the argument that they should stay sanctioned and face more consequences."
No response from NSO Group was documented in the post, and the specific court was not identified in the available material. The allegation remains an accusation; the next procedural step, per WhatsApp's statement as relayed by Citizen Lab, is the contempt filing itself.
Key facts on file
- WhatsApp said it will ask a US court to hold NSO Group in contempt.
- The accusation involves NSO using WhatsApp to lure targets into downloading Pegasus spyware.
