Meta, Apple Spyware Lawsuits Test NSO’s Foreign Hacking Shields

Spyware maker NSO Group’s defense against legal challenges brought by Meta Platforms Inc.'s WhatsApp and Apple has sparked US Supreme Court interest, drawing attention to efforts to hold foreign governments responsible for state-sponsored hacking.

NSO is seeking to use the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, which limits lawsuits brought against foreign nations in US courts, as a liability shield. The Israeli company is claiming immunity under that law and a similar common law doctrine because governments leverage its spying technology to investigate terrorism and other crimes.

In separate litigation filed in California, Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc.‘s WhatsApp messaging ...