NSO Group Seeks New Trial, Disputes $167 Million WhatsApp Damages as ‘Outrageous’
NSO Group, the controversial spyware maker, is challenging a recent court ruling that requires them to pay $167 million in damages to WhatsApp. The damages were awarded following a verdict in May, which found NSO Group liable for a 2019 hacking campaign targeting over 1,400 individuals. According to TechCrunch, the company is now seeking a new trial or a reduction in the damages amount, labeling the ruling “outrageous,” “blatantly unlawful,” and “unconstitutionally excessive.”
On Thursday, NSO Group officially filed a motion for a new trial or a “remittitur,” a legal procedure that allows a court to reduce what it deems an excessive verdict. This filing was initially reported by legal news outlets Law360 and MLex.
NSO Group’s legal representatives argue that the $167 million punitive award far exceeds the permissible legal limits. They claim the award violates the principle that punitive damages should not be more than four times the compensatory damages, which in this case were $444,719. They contend that the jury’s decision reflects an improper desire to bankrupt NSO due to general hostility toward its business practices, rather than being solely based on the specific conduct for which punitive damages were applicable.
Margarita Franklin, a spokesperson for WhatsApp, conveyed to TechCrunch that WhatsApp remains committed to fighting the case. “For the past six years, NSO has tried to avoid accountability at every turn. This is another expected attempt to claim impunity, in response to a strong message from the jury of U.S. citizens deciding to punish NSO for its 2019 illegal attack against an American company and its users,” Franklin stated. She added, “We’ll respond to the court as we continue to pursue a permanent injunction against NSO to prevent this spyware firm from targeting WhatsApp and our users ever again.”
NSO Group maintains that the awarded amount “grossly exceeds NSO’s ability to pay” and unjustly aims to punish the company. The company had previously asserted during the trial that it was facing severe financial difficulties.
