Access Now and other civil society groups asked the Ninth Circuit to keep a court order blocking NSO Group from using WhatsApp to target users with Pegasus spyware. The filing concerns NSO’s appeal after WhatsApp and Meta won a permanent injunction and jury verdict in a case over Pegasus being delivered through WhatsApp’s servers to more than 1,400 people in 20 countries, including journalists, activists, and human rights defenders.
Why it matters: This matters because the appeal could shape how strongly U.S. courts can curb commercial spyware used against encrypted messaging users. It is especially relevant to people at risk of surveillance and to companies defending messaging platforms from spyware abuse.
Natalia Krapiva, Esq.
2026.05.21
100% relevant
This article establishes a distinct legal and surveillance story about NSO’s active appeal of the WhatsApp/Pegasus injunction, with a new amicus filing urging the Ninth Circuit to preserve protections for encrypted communications.
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