Apple has fought against mercenary hackers and… won the battle

In a practice that one of the world’s most valuable companies regularly comes into contact with, Apple is back in court, In this occasion, To achieve progress in the case pending before them against the Israeli group NSO, the creator of the famous Pegasus spywareFollowing the lawsuit filed in November 2021.

The judge in charge of the case resolved NSO Group’s request to dismiss the lawsuit in the United States in favor of the lawsuit in Israel because it did not meet the requirements. However he suggested that Apple would face the same challenges in Israel that NSO faces in the United States. Verbatim, Judge Donato said:

NSO’s apparent burdens with respect to witnesses and evidence in this district are clearly balanced by the equivalent burdens that Apple would face if this case were litigated in Israel.

Apple’s lawsuit against the creator of Pegasus will continue in the United States

Pegasus is one of the most famous spyware that is used to monitor users of iOS and Android devices. It has been used by hackers in many countries for purposes that threaten the privacy and security of users. For this reason, Apple sought a court order to permanently ban NSO Group from using the company’s software, services, and devices.

At that time, Apple sued NSO Group and its parent company to hold them accountable for surveillance and targeted targeting of Apple device users and failure to comply with various laws. However, NSO argued that the grounds on which Apple sued the Pegasus maker do not apply to the case.

Seeing this, Judge Donato did not agree. In the decision, Judge Donato validated Apple’s basis for the lawsuit, claiming that NSO Group violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and California unfair competition law.

Apart from this, the judge told how the case will continue. Thus, NSO will respond to Apple’s complaint by February 14, 2024. While a case management conference is scheduled for April 4, 2024 at 10:00 am.

If you win the case, Apple requests lock mode on iPhone, Apple’s notification to users that they may be attacked by state-level attackers and a $10 million grant through the Ford Foundation to support research into the mercenary spyware threat.