WhatsApp Says NSO Linked To New Spyware Attacks Despite Order
WhatsApp said it has detected and blocked new spyware attacks that it linked to NSO Group, the Israeli surveillance company, and argued the activity violated a court order barring NSO from targeting the messaging platform while a closely watched legal fight continues.
The claims were laid out by WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, in an update and in court filings seeking to hold NSO Group in contempt. WhatsApp said it identified new attempted intrusions aimed at its users and attributed the activity to NSO, the maker of the Pegasus spyware that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and litigation.
The dispute stems from WhatsApp’s lawsuit accusing NSO Group of abusing the service to deliver spyware. In that case, WhatsApp obtained a court order directing NSO Group not to access or attempt to access WhatsApp’s systems, or to help others do so, during the litigation. WhatsApp now says it has evidence NSO continued efforts that run afoul of that directive.
According to WhatsApp’s account, the latest activity involved attempts to compromise targets through WhatsApp and related infrastructure. The company said it detected the operations and disrupted them, and that it is providing information to the court as part of its request for enforcement action against NSO.
The development matters because it escalates an already high-profile legal confrontation over spyware use and platform security. WhatsApp has positioned the case as a test of whether commercial spyware vendors can be held accountable for alleged intrusion through widely used communications services. A court finding that NSO violated an order could add legal pressure on the company and raise the stakes for ongoing oversight of surveillance tools.
The allegations also reinforce WhatsApp’s central warning to users and governments: that spyware operations continue to target private communications, and that even major platforms must continuously hunt for and shut down sophisticated intrusion attempts. For Meta, it is another public assertion that adversarial actors are still probing its services, even amid court restrictions.
What happens next will play out in court. WhatsApp is asking a judge to hold NSO Group in contempt, a step that can lead to sanctions or additional court-ordered restrictions if a violation is found. The court will review WhatsApp’s submissions and any response from NSO as the underlying lawsuit proceeds.
Separately, WhatsApp has continued to publish security updates and to characterize its detection efforts as part of its broader campaign against spyware. NSO Group, which has faced legal and political pressure in multiple arenas, remains a focal point in debates over how governments and private companies should control the sale and deployment of hacking tools.
For now, WhatsApp is pressing the court to act on what it says is fresh evidence of prohibited targeting, tightening the legal spotlight on a spyware vendor already under intense scrutiny.
