Security News > 2023 > January > US Supremes deny Pegasus spyware maker's immunity claim

The US Supreme Court has quashed spyware maker NSO Group's argument that it cannot be held legally responsible for using WhatsApp technology to deploy its Pegasus snoop-ware on users' phones.

Previously, the US Solicitor General filed an amicus brief [PDF] advising the Supreme Court not to hear the spyware developer's case, noting "NSO plainly is not entitled to immunity here."

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Late last year, the Knight Institute filed a lawsuit against NSO on behalf of journalists and other members of the leading Central American news organization El Faro - the first such lawsuit filed by journalists against NSO in a US court.

The complaint alleges that NSO Group and its parent company, Q Cyber Technologies, violated US laws by helping to deploy Pegasus spyware to remotely access journalists' iPhones.

In addition to the lawsuits, NSO and other spyware makers also face increased enforcement in the US and Europe as lawmakers.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/01/09/supreme_court_pegasus_spyware/