Pegasus Spyware Maker NSO Group booked by Apple for attacking 1 Bn iPhone Users

Apple has booked the Israeli spyware maker on Tuesday at the centre of the Pegasus surveillance scandal that was looking for blocking NSO group from attacking the 1 billion iPhone mobile phones in circulation.

The Suit filed by Silicon Valley added fuel to fire by battling NSO against targeting thousands of journalists, activists and politicians in the controversial reports of Pegasus spyware.

USA authorities had blacklisted Pegasus Spyware NSO Group few weeks ago for constraining the exports from American groups due to accusations that the Israeli organization “allowed foreign governments to organize ‘transnational repression’.

“To prevent further abuse and harm to its users, Apple is also seeking a permanent injunction to ban NSO Group from using any Apple software, services, or devices,” Apple said in a statement announcing the lawsuit filed in US federal court in California.

The iPhone makers said in its case that the opponents are infamous hackers who have formed magnificent cyber-surveillance machinery that ropes in ‘flagrant abuse’.

NSO Group has continually refused these claims and urged that its software is created to be used by authorities only for the purpose of battling terrorism and other criminal activities.

Smartphones which have been infected with Pegasus are transformed into handy spying devices enabling the consumer to read target’s texts and navigate around their photos, track their GPS and even switch on their camera app without their knowledge.

Apple has said there are over 1.65 billion active Apple phones across the globe which is inclusive of a billion iPhone devices.

The lawsuit from Apple is not the first of its kind from a Giant Tech Firm- Facebook had booked NSO Group IN 2019 alleging it of misusing WhatsApp Messenger for the purpose of conducting cyberespionage on human rights activists, journalists and others.

That lawsuit filed in a California federal court, alleged approximately 1,400 devices were attacked with harmful software for stealing important information from users of the messenger app. Jake Williams from Breachquest, a cybersecurity firm said that this is definitely bad news for NSO which is under the peril of default with around $500 million in debt.

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