“WhatsApp sues Israeli company over cyberattack that it says targeted journalists, dissidents and diplomats”, 30 October 2019

WhatsApp is suing an Israeli company that it claims was behind a cyberattack that installed spyware on users’ phones and targeted human rights defenders, journalists, political dissidents, diplomats and government officials…

“Tools that enable surveillance into our private lives are being abused, and the proliferation of this technology into the hands of irresponsible companies and governments puts us all at risk,” he said.

NSO, a company that manufactures, distributes and operates surveillance technology, used WhatsApp servers located in the United States and elsewhere to send spyware to about 1,400 smartphones and devices in April and May, according to the WhatsApp complaint. The targets included “at least 100 human rights defenders, journalists and other members of civil society across the world,” according to Cathcart.

The malware was intended to conduct “surveillance of specific WhatsApp users,” the complaint said. Targets were located in places such as Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain. NSO’s clients include government agencies in those countries, as well as private entities, according to the complaint. The complaint, however, does not name any defendants aside from NSO Group and its parent company, Q Cyber Technologies.

NSO Group said in a statement Wednesday that it disputes the allegations and “will vigorously fight them.”

“The sole purpose of NSO is to provide technology to licensed government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to help them fight terrorism and serious crime. Our technology is not designed or licensed for use against human rights activists and journalists,” the company added…