Apple is suing NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus spyware, for allegedly targeting its users
Using the Pegasus eavesdropping crisis as a backdrop, Apple has filed a lawsuit against Israeli spyware supplier NSO, arguing that the Israeli business, which is at the centre of the dispute, must be held responsible.
NSO Group and its parent company were sued by Apple, who sought to hold them accountable for eavesdropping on and targeting Apple customers.
The complaint describes how the NSO Group infected victims’ machines with its Pegasus software via a variety of methods.
The firm is also seeking an injunction against NSO Group, which would prevent the company from using any Apple software, or devices in the future, in order to prevent further abuse and injury to its customers, according to a statement from the company.
Phones are infected with Pegasus malware, which collects personal and geographical data while also surreptitiously controlling the microphones and cameras.
Researchers have uncovered instances of NSO Group products using so-called zero click vulnerabilities, which infect targeted mobile phones without the need for any human interaction on the part of the victim.
“The NSO Group creates sophisticated, state-sponsored surveillance technology that allows its highly specialised spyware to track its victims,” according to the NSO website.
According to the statement, “These attacks are solely targeted at a small number of users and harm customers across a wide range of platforms, including iOS and Android.”
This virus has been used to target journalists, activists, dissidents, academics, and government officials for years, according to researchers and journalists who have published their findings.
Another digital juggernaut, Facebook, has filed a lawsuit against NSO Group in federal court in the United States, alleging that the company used highly sophisticated spyware to target 1,400 users of its encrypted messaging programme WhatsApp.
Early this month, the Biden administration announced that it is slapping further export restrictions on Israel’s NSO Group, the world’s most renowned hacker-for-hire organisation, on the grounds that its technology have been used to perpetrate worldwide repression.