Israeli spyware firm targeted Whatsapp users despite US court order

Israeli spyware firm targeted Whatsapp users despite US court order Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 06/12/2026 - 12:16 Meta says users in Jordan and Lebanon were targeted by NSO Group even after court injunction forbidding it A photographic illustration shows a mobile phone near the NSO Group company logo on 9 February 2022 in the Israeli city of Netanya (AFP/Jack Guez) Off A spyware firm founded in Israel has been targeting Whatsapp users in Jordan and Lebanon with malicious links, despite a US court order forbidding it from doing so, according to Meta. Meta said earlier this week that it had caught and disrupted "spear phishing attempts" by NSO Group on Whatsapp, which had targeted a handful of users in Jordan and Lebanon. The tech giant said it also caught the spyware firm creating "test accounts and groups" on Whatsapp.