Courts and Sanctions

Summary judgment on liability 20 December 2024 (CFAA, California computer-access law, breach of contract). Jury 6 May 2025: $444,719 compensatory + $167,254,000 punitive. Judge Phyllis Hamilton, 17 October 2025: punitive damages remitted to $4,002,471; permanent injunction barring NSO from targeting WhatsApp users. Plaintiffs accepted remittitur 31 October 2025. Final judgment $4,447,190. Injunction entered 12 November 2025.

Reporting in June 2026 said Meta asked the court to hold NSO in contempt over alleged further WhatsApp activity; treat the contempt outcome as unconfirmed unless a later order is added.

Later dropped (Apple withdrew; widely reported 2023–2024), reportedly to avoid disclosing security methods.

Dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction 30 September 2026.

Procedural dismissal, not a finding that the infections did not happen.

NSO Group added for supplying spyware used to target officials, journalists, activists, and embassy workers.

NSO says sales require approval. Company statement October 2025: a US investor group took controlling ownership for tens of millions; Calcalist named a consortium led by Robert Simonds; NSO said HQ and regulation stay in Israel and co-founder Omri Lavie's role would end.

Do not state a sale price beyond 'tens of millions' as reported.

27 July 2026: foreign state not immune from a UK civil claim over spyware used against people in the UK. Relevant as a jurisdiction precedent, not a Pegasus-only ruling.

Label the product if the judgment names it, otherwise describe it as a spyware state-immunity ruling.

Recommended tighter spyware rules. Not binding law.