A federal court in the United States has ordered the Israeli company NSO Group to cease any attempts of unauthorized access to the WhatsApp messaging service.

A federal court in the United States has ruled that NSO Group must cease any illegal activity accessing the WhatsApp messaging service, imposing a permanent ban.

Judge Phyllis Hamilton issued a 25-page ruling, representing a major blow to the Israeli company, accused of human rights abuses through the use of the Pegasus spyware.

Although punitive damages were significantly reduced from $167 million to $4 million, NSO warned that the ban could jeopardize its existence in the market.

WhatsApp director Will Cathcart welcomed the decision as an important step in holding NSO accountable for its actions.

In response, NSO emphasized that the injunction does not affect its clients, who can continue to use the technology for public safety. The company will review the ruling to decide on the next steps.