Apple Sues NSO Group for Targeting Its Users With Pegasus Spyware

Apple has filed a lawsuit against privately owned Israeli cyberattack company NSO Group, and its parent company OSY Technologies, for alleged surveillance and targeting of Apple users with its Pegasus spyware. The lawsuit also asks the court to ban NSO from using any Apple software, services or devices, Reuters reported.

The lawsuit was filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California. Apple alleges that the company created more than 100 fake Apple ID user credentials to carry out its attacks “on mobile devices that can and do cross international borders.”

Earlier this month a US federal appeals court ruled that Facebook which is now known as Meta Platforms, can sue NSO for exploiting a bug in the WhatsApp cell phone messaging tool, which is owned by Meta, to install malware on the mobile devices of some 1,400 people, including human rights activists, politicians and journalists.

NSO has come under scrutiny following reports that its Pegasus spyware has been used by certain governments to spy on human rights activists, politicians and journalists. NSO says the software was sold to countries to allow their government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime. Earlier this month the Isaac Benbenisti, an NSO Group co-president, resigned as the company’s new CEO, before even starting work in his new job. In addition, the company was added to a list of companies that the US Department of Commerce says operate against US national security interests and its foreign policy interests. Moody’s credit rating said yesterday that NSO Group is at risk of defaulting on $500 million of debt, which would lead to insolvency,