A fresh campaign of targeted attacks on WhatsApp users has been detected by Meta, the company announced on Monday, June 8. The attacks, allegedly orchestrated by the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group, represent a direct violation of an existing court order. Meta is now asking a United States tribunal to hold NSO Group in contempt of court for ignoring the judicial prohibition that barred it from using the messaging platform for its operations.
Years‑Long Legal Battle Over Pegasus Spyware
The conflict between Meta and NSO Group dates back to 2019, when the tech giant first filed a lawsuit accusing the spyware maker of exploiting WhatsApp to break into the devices of journalists, human rights defenders, political dissidents, and other prominent figures. A jury subsequently awarded Meta US$ 167 million in damages, though that amount was later reduced to US$ 4 million. The court also imposed a permanent injunction prohibiting NSO Group from making any use of WhatsApp in its operations. Despite these legal victories, Meta now contends that the company has continued its illicit activities.
Contempt Request Follows Alleged Violation of Ban
The latest accusation hinges on a newly discovered operation that Meta says directly breaches the permanent injunction. According to the company, NSO Group has persisted in targeting WhatsApp users, this time through a phishing campaign that involved accounts linked to the spyware firm. The accounts were used to lure potential victims into clicking malicious links, a tactic similar to previous attacks attributed to NSO. Meta has formally requested that the US court declare the Israeli firm in contempt for ignoring the earlier order.
Phishing Campaign Targets Users in Jordan and Lebanon
In an official statement, Meta disclosed that its security teams had identified a set of accounts associated with NSO Group executing a coordinated phishing operation. The attack focused on fewer than ten users, primarily located in Jordan and Lebanon. As of now, there is no evidence that any of the targets were successfully compromised, but the attempted breach underscores the persistence of the threat.
NSO Group Remains Silent Amid Escalating Allegations
NSO Group has not yet issued any public response to the new accusations. Meta, meanwhile, expects the court to view this campaign as a clear and deliberate violation of the existing injunction. The case reopens a broader debate about the limits of spyware use and whether traditional judicial remedies can effectively rein in companies that operate across international borders. The Pegasus spyware, which NSO sells to governments and intelligence agencies, has long been at the center of controversies over surveillance and privacy violations.
Meta has reiterated its commitment to protecting the privacy of WhatsApp’s more than two billion users. The company stated that it will continue to pursue every legal avenue to block any attempt to infiltrate the messaging platform. The outcome of the contempt proceeding could set an important precedent for how courts handle cases involving state‑backed or privately produced surveillance tools.