Meta is stepping up its legal battle with Israeli spyware company NSO Group, saying the firm broke a U.S. court order that banned it from targeting WhatsApp and its users.
Meta said Monday it is filing a federal court contempt order against NSO Group for violating a permanent injunction connected to WhatsApp.
This case is the latest in Meta’s ongoing legal fight with NSO, which makes the Pegasus hacking tool. The dispute is now one of the most closely watched legal battles over commercial spyware, platform security, and digital rights.
WhatsApp says it disrupted new phishing attempts
According to Reuters, Meta said its WhatsApp messaging service disrupted new spear-phishing attempts linked to NSO, which has been blacklisted by the U.S. government for activities described as contrary to national security or foreign policy interests.
These attempts were like earlier ‘1-click phishing campaigns,’ where users are tricked into clicking harmful links that take them to outside websites.
The Economic Times shared that a 1-click attack can compromise a victim’s device or account through a single malicious link or attachment, without requiring the person to enter credentials.
Meta said WhatsApp removed test accounts and groups that NSO had set up on its platform. NSO did not respond right away to Reuters’ request for comment.
Court order remains central to the dispute
The latest legal move focuses on a permanent order from last year, when a U.S. court told NSO to stop targeting Meta’s WhatsApp.
The ruling significantly reduced punitive damages owed by NSO to Meta, cutting the amount to $4 million from an initial $167 million. However, the injunction itself was viewed as a serious challenge for NSO, which had warned that the order could put it out of business.
The order is important because it directly blocks NSO from targeting WhatsApp and its users. If Meta proves NSO broke the order, the company could face more legal trouble.
Pegasus remains under human rights scrutiny
NSO continues to face criticism over Pegasus, its powerful hacking tool that has been tied to claims of human rights abuses.
Civil society groups are worried because spyware can be used to watch journalists, activists, lawyers, opposition leaders, and other at-risk people. NSO and similar companies say their tools are for legal government use, but critics warn that commercial spyware is hard to control once it is out in the world.
Civil rights groups back Meta’s position
Meta also said it has backing from civil rights groups and technology advocates in its effort to keep the court order in place.
Meta said that last month it was joined by 12 prominent civil rights organizations, along with a coalition of security researchers, privacy advocates, and digital rights experts, who filed amicus briefs opposing NSO’s appeal against the permanent injunction.
This support shows the case is about more than just Meta and NSO. For digital rights groups, the result could shape how courts handle spyware companies accused of targeting communication platforms and their users.
Meta’s legal fight signals broader spyware crackdown
Meta’s latest step shows that big platforms are getting more aggressive in using courts, technical tools, and public pressure to fight spyware operations.
For WhatsApp, the issue is also about user trust. Messaging platforms depend heavily on the promise of private and secure communication. If spyware firms can repeatedly exploit or target those platforms, the risk goes beyond one company’s reputation and reaches journalists, activists, civil society groups, and ordinary users.
The legal battle is still ongoing, but Meta’s contempt filing shows it wants the court to enforce its earlier order more strongly. As commercial spyware faces global scrutiny, the Meta-NSO case may keep shaping how tech companies react when surveillance tools target their platforms.
