Meta has accused the Israeli company NSO Group of breaching a court order that banned it from targeting WhatsApp users. The social media giant reported catching spear phishing attempts linked to NSO, which they say are similar to those used in previous 1-click campaigns. This comes as a federal judge upheld a permanent injunction against NSO after it was found guilty and awarded $4 million in damages.

NSO developed the controversial Pegasus spyware and is blacklisted by the US government for supplying foreign governments with tools to target civilians, including journalists and activists. Despite the court order, they continue their legal battle, arguing that the injunction could shut down their primary product, which made up 100% of their sales in 2025.

“We successfully disrupted NSO-linked social engineering attempts,” said Meta in a statement to users and stakeholders. “They tried to trick people into clicking on malicious links to drive them to external websites outside of WhatsApp.”

The company has been closely monitoring NSO’s activities, including the creation of test accounts and groups on WhatsApp, which they swiftly dismantled.

This ongoing conflict highlights the complex relationship between technology companies and state-sponsored cyber espionage. As legal battles rage, users remain caught in the crossfire.