Israeli spyware company and maker of the Pegasus software, NSO Group, has been ordered by a US federal court to pay approximately $170 million in damages to WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta.

NSO Group has become an icon of the largely underground spyware market in recent years and is increasingly used by governments to spy on dissidents, journalists, and politicians.

This decision, the final step in a process that began in 2019, is seen as a major victory for privacy advocates and those who oppose NSO Group’s controversial Pegasus software.

According to a Meta spokesperson, the decision, following a day of deliberation by jurors, orders NSO Group to pay WhatsApp over $440,000 in compensatory damages, as well as approximately $167 million in punitive damages.

This decision stems from an initiative linked to NSO Group that exploited video calling systems in 2019 to send malware to approximately 1,400 WhatsApp users, many of whom worked for non-governmental organizations.

WhatsApp had filed a complaint in court after the plot was uncovered.

NSO Group had previously been found responsible for hacking WhatsApp user accounts and had set a precedent for organizations targeted by spyware to pursue companies that develop malware.

Immediately after the decision, a post published on Meta’s site celebrated the victory and stated that WhatsApp would seek a court order to ensure “NSO does not target WhatsApp again”.

It was also added that Meta would donate a certain amount to digital rights organizations working to expose the misuse of spyware. Furthermore, WhatsApp plans to publish transcripts of deposition videos of NSO Group executives and others to help researchers fully understand how spyware is used globally.

The post stated, “Today’s decision in the WhatsApp case is a significant step for privacy and security, representing the first victory against the development and use of illegal spyware that threatens everyone’s safety and privacy”.

Apple had also sued NSO Group seeking damages for spyware used against its customers, but withdrew the lawsuit last year, concluding that the case could expose sensitive data of Apple users.

NSO Group has repeatedly pushed back against criticism, arguing that the Pegasus spyware is used for good purposes, such as catching serious criminals.

Gil Lainer, NSO Group’s vice president of global communications, stated on Tuesday that the decision was “another hurdle in a long legal process” and said, “We believe our technology plays a critical role in preventing serious crime and terrorism and is used responsibly by authorized government agencies”.

Lainer said, “We will carefully review the details of the decision and pursue appropriate legal avenues, including further litigation and appeals,” and added that the company remains “fully committed to our mission of developing technologies that protect public safety” while operating within the legal framework.

The European Parliament had also established a committee to investigate the use of Pegasus in EU countries.

Last year, the Biden administration supported other countries’ commitment to using spyware responsibly, and the Trump administration had recently announced support for international efforts to establish a code of conduct regarding the use of such software.

The Washington Post (WP) reported, based on relevant documents, that the administration of US President Donald Trump earlier this year called on the Ukrainian government to accept an “unspecified number” of third-country nationals who were deported from the United States.

The newspaper noted that this request seemed “unusual” given the ongoing war in Ukraine, the non-operational airports, and the country’s dependence on military and financial support.

The documents did not specify how Kyiv responded to this request.

According to WP, a Ukrainian diplomat informed the US embassy that the government would convey a response as soon as it was formulated.

The diplomat said that Ukraine has a “history of accepting its own citizens after they are deported from the United States,” but the government is currently facing an “extraordinary wartime situation.”

Two Ukrainian officials who spoke to the newspaper said that the issue was not discussed among the highest-level government officials.

Another official stated that they were not aware of any “political request” from the US to accept deportees.

The newspaper emphasized that Ukraine has not accepted any third-country nationals deported from the US.

It was noted that similar requests were made to several other countries between January and May, and that El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, and a number of other states responded positively to these requests.

In return, the Trump administration offered to improve relations with these countries and provided other incentives.

For example, the Rwandan government, which accepted a deported Iraqi, was paid $100,000 and later approved the acceptance of ten more people under a “long-term program.”

According to data, the Trump administration plans to deport up to one million immigrants in its first year in office.

The previous record was set during the term of the 44th US President Barack Obama, who served from January 2009 to January 2017, with over 400,000 deportations in a single year.

Following the onslaught of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, there has been a significant drop in sea cargo shipments from China to the US.

According to global logistics company Flexport, sea cargo shipments from China to the US fell by 65% within three weeks after the tariffs took effect in early April, due to a drop in demand for goods on which China imposed a 145% tariff.

Sea cargo ships canceled approximately 80 voyages from China to the US this month. This is nearly 60% more than the voyages canceled during the peak period in May 2020, when Covid-19 disrupted the supply chain.

The Port of Los Angeles, a major entry point for Chinese goods into the US, expects a one-third reduction in the number of incoming ships next week compared to the same period last year.

Since China is one of the US’s largest suppliers for everything from kitchen appliances to combs, the chief economist at Apollo Global Management said last week, “The result of the tariffs will be empty shelves in US stores within a few weeks and Covid-like shortages for consumers and firms using Chinese products.”

According to Apollo, the drop in sales is likely to lead to layoffs in the trucking, logistics, and retail sectors and a recession over the summer.

To save time, US companies are importing more goods from other manufacturing hubs like Vietnam and Cambodia, where tariffs have been suspended. Nevertheless, thousands of businesses will need to replenish their stocks by mid-May, when retailers typically tend to increase their inventories ahead of the back-to-school and holiday seasons.

Executives from Walmart, Target, and Home Depot told Trump last week that they foresaw serious risks, such as shelves remaining empty and prices increasing. When relief will come is uncertain: The Trump administration said active negotiations with China were ongoing, but China denied this.

Even if tariffs are eased, a sudden surge in shipping demand could strain sea transport. Vespucci Maritime CEO Lars Jensen told Bloomberg, “Ports are designed for stable flows, not for intermittent volume changes.”