Microsoft, Google, Cisco, the Internet Association and VMWare support Facebook in the proceedings against the NSO Group. The Israeli company had hacked WhatsApp accounts using malware 1400 – from journalists, lawyers, human rights activists and government officials, among others.

Microsoft has published the letter with multiple signers. It reads: “Private companies like NSO Group are working hard to develop surveillance tools and sell them to governments and other customers as ‘cyber surveillance as a service’.” This makes it possible to listen in on conversations, read text messages and e-mails, view photos and contact lists and download all of the data and search history. This is illegal in the USA.

Immunity thanks to governments The NSO is trying to do this Group to avert a proceeding. The company stated that immunity must apply because government agencies bought the software and were not used to monitor it yourself.

Facebook’s supporters try to protect its products from cyber criminals. “Every year 120 billions of dollars are invested in security worldwide,” the letter said. There is also an explanation of the other dangers – for example, using the example of the ransomware attack on a bank in Ukraine 2017, because of this in the USA and other regions of the world Productions had to be stopped. In their opinion, immunity for a private company is absolutely the wrong way to go. Imitators have already tried to produce similar software.

The first legal proceedings had already resulted in success for Facebook. However, a default judgment was issued against which the NSO Group defends itself. Since then, Facebook has also requested that the content of the case be decided.

(emw)