Score one for Apple in its legal battle with spyware maker NSO

Apple has tallied a win in its legal battle with spyware maker NSO and the Israeli firm’s efforts to move Apple’s lawsuit against it to its home country, reports MacRumors.

A judge denied NSO’s motion to dismiss Apple’s case “in all respects,” and rejected the group’s arguments that Apple should be required to bring its lawsuit to Israel, deciding instead that the case will proceed in the U.S. The court also ruled that Apple had adequately alleged that NSO violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and California’s Unfair Competition Law, breached its contract with Apple, and that NSO unjustly enriched itself at the expense of Apple and its users.

In November 2021, Apple filed a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company “to hold it accountable for the surveillance and targeting of Apple users.” NSO Group Technologies is a technology firm primarily known for its proprietary spyware Pegasus, which is capable of remote zero-click surveillance of smartphones. It was founded in 2010 by Niv Karmi, Omri Lavie, and Shalev Hulio

In its lawsuit,Apple said the complaint provides new information on how the NSO Group infected victims’ devices with its Pegasus spyware. To prevent further abuse and harm to its users, Apple said it’s also seeking a permanent injunction to ban NSO Group from using any Apple software, services, or devices.