Jury hits NSO with punitive damages after first public legal reckoning for Israel-based maker of spy software banned from use in U.S.

A California federal jury found that Israel-based spyware vendor NSO Group owes $167.25 million in punitive damages for enabling the hacks of about 1,400 WhatsApp users' devices. Why it matters: The damages deal a major economic blow to one of the world's most prolific spyware vendors and sets a precedent for similar cases.

Spyware maker NSO Group will have to pay more than $167 million in damages to WhatsApp for a 2019 hacking campaign against more than 1,400 users. On Tuesday, after a five-year legal battle, a jury ruled that NSO Group must pay $167,