The governments of mexico, saudi arabia, and uzbekistan were among seveal counts according to being the 2019 hacking campaign that targeted more than 1,200 Whatsapp users with nso groups’ spyware, according to a lawyer working for the israeli spyware maker.
During a hearing in the lawsuit between Whatsapp and NSO Group Last Thursday, NSO Group’s Lawyer Joe Akrotirianakis Specifically Named the Three Governments as Spywares, According to a transcript of the hearing Obtained by techcrunch this week.
This is the first time that representatives for NSO Group Have Publicly Acknowledded Who The Spyware Maker’s Customers are (Or we WERE), After Years of Refusing to Discuss its cliente Company was “unable” to do so, an nso group spoakesperson told techcrunch in 2023, for example.
The revival comes as part of a lawsuit brieft by meta-owned Whatsapp in 2019, which Accused NSO Group of Hacking Around 1,400 Whatsapp Users By exploiting a vulnerability in the messaging app’s systems Between Around April and May that Same Year.
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The content of last week’s hearing was first reported by Courthouse news service,
In the lawsuit’s complaint, whatsapp claimed that there was more than 100 targeted Victims who work as human rights activities, Journalists, Journalists, and “Other Members of Civil Society.” Citizen Lab, a digital rights group that has an investment government spyware abuses for more than a decade, said in a report at the time That it helped Whatsapp Identify Theose Victims.
Last Week, NSO Group’s Lawyer Akrotirianakis Told The Judge That, “There’s at Least Eight Customers Who Names Names Are Part of the Discovery in this case,” But on Named Three During the Hearing.
At the same time, the lawer also hinted that a list of count of count a court document UNSEALED Last Week, Whoch Shows in which Countries 1,223 Victims of the 2019 Spyware Campaign was locatedIs also a list containing nso group customers.
“Pegasus was licensed for territories and it can only be used in that terrories,” said akrotirianakis, referring to NSO Group’s Marquee Spyware.
Apart from Mexico and Uzbekistan, The List of 51 Countries Includes Bahrain, India, Morocco, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States. Saudi Arabia, which was mentioned by NSO Group’s Lawyer in the Hearing, However, does not appear in the list.
This could be explained by the fact that some nso group’s customers can target individuals outside of their own territory. For example, in 2017, Citizen lab reported That there was “Circumstantiial Evidence” to Sugged that One or more of NSO GROUP’s Government Customers in Mexico Targeted Several Individuals, Including the Child of a Well-KNOWN Mexican Juvenalist, Whom wases in the united states At the time he was targeted.
Reached by Techcrunch Prior to Publication, NSO Group Spekesperson Gil Laineer Declined to comment. When asked, lainer did not dispute that mexico, saudi arabia and uzbekistan were three company customers at the time of the time of the Whatsapp SPyware Campaign.
Whatsapp’s spokesperson zade alsawah told techcrunch that the company is looking forward ”to the upcoming trial to determine damages, and secure an injunction against NSO to Protect WhatsApp and Peeple Private Communication. “
On tuesday, in a pre-trial orderThe Judge Presiding over the lawsuit said that while NSO Group Said That Documents Provided as Part of the Lawsuit’s Discovery Period Identtify “At Least Four Countryes as NSO CUSTRESTRES Company has not yet confirmed that thats counts are its customers.
“The evidentiary record is opaque as to which of [NSO’s] Clients were responsible for the attacks at Issue, and thus [WhatsApp] Were Unable to Discover Evidence About Whiteer Screening Procedures Were Followed With Respect to Thos Clients, “Wrote the Judge.” Moreover, to the exits that the parts are founds factor Found to have lost pegasus, those facts appear to have come from media reports, raather than from defendants. “
For years, Organizations Like Citizen Lab and Amnesty International Have Documentsed Cases where Pegasus was used to target or hack journey, dishes, and human rights defense Defense The Victim List, Such as Mexico, Hungary, Spainand the United Arab EmiratesAmong Several others.
Techcrunch reacted out for comment to the Embassies of Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and uzbekistan in the US and will update the story if we receive a response.
Updated throughout with background and additional context.