More than two years after filing a lawsuit against NSO Group, Manzana He sees that the outlook is beginning to lean in his favor. According 9to5Macthose from Cupertino won their first battle against the company that developed Pegasusthe spyware that generated all kinds of scandals in governments in different parts of the world.
Before continuing, let’s recap what happened. NSO Group took advantage of a vulnerability in iPhones to be able to run Pegasus and spy on Apple terminal users. The company led by Tim Cook, of course, did not stay with its arms crossed.
In November 2021, Apple sued NSO Group in the United States. He accused them of creating illegal software that violates the privacy of its platform. Although the number of affected users was small, that did not prevent Apple from starting this crusade. The ultimate goal, of course, was to get the program banned and make NSO pay for its actions.
“While these cybersecurity threats only affect a very small number of our customers, we take any attacks on our users very seriously and are constantly working to strengthen the security and privacy protections on iOS to keep all of our users safe,” commented Craig Federighi, Apple’s vice president of Software Engineering.
The manager also raised his voice to say that companies like NSO earn millions of dollars by marketing tools that facilitate criminal activity without being held accountable, a situation that must end as soon as possible.
The legal process, however, was hampered because NSO Group tried to move the battle with Apple to Israel, country where he resides. Perhaps, in the hopes of getting help from the local government and leaving those on the block at a disadvantage. The move obviously did not go down well with Apple.
The trial stays in the US, a victory for Apple
However, today a judge ruled that NSO Group cannot avoid its legal responsibilities within the North American territory. Judgment, therefore, will not be brought to Israel.
“Witnesses and evidence are likely to be found here and abroad in fairly equal proportions, and one side or the other will face some challenges. NSO has not demonstrated otherwise,” the judge determined.
Another point why the process will continue in the United States is because NSO Group would have violated a couple of laws of the State of California. Specifically, the computer fraud and abuse law and the unfair competition law.
Whats Next? The next February 14th, NSO Group must appear before the relevant authorities and respond to the allegations. However, it is evident that the matter is not favorable to them. Apple put together a fairly solid lawsuit and its chances of success are greater.
If Apple wins this dispute against NSO Group, it may set a precedent. Any company that is willing to compromise their devices to spy on users will have to face them in court.
An Apple representative told the aforementioned media that they will continue to dedicate efforts to prevent user privacy from being compromised by programs like Pegasus. They give as an example the proposal launched at the end of 2021, which allows users to be alerted who were possibly infected by said spyware.