NSO appeals WhatsApp decision, says it can’t pay $168 million in ‘unlawful’ damages therecord.media/nso-group…

The NSO Group has filed an appeal in response to a jury’s $168 million award to WhatsApp last month for the spyware manufacturer’s alleged role in allowing government clients to infect some 1,400 phones with its zero-click surveillance technology.

NSO asked the Northern California federal judge who oversaw the five-year trial to either drastically reduce the $167.2 million in punitive damages the jury awarded WhatsApp or greenlight a new trial, according to a Thursday court filing.

The surveillance product allegedly used against the WhatsApp users, Pegasus, has been found on devices belonging to members of civil society worldwide for years, proving NSO’s clients widely abuse the technology.