Israel rewrote court filings in the WhatsApp vs. NSO case in California

Israel has taken significant steps to prevent the disclosure of state secrets in the ongoing lawsuit between WhatsApp and the Israeli spyware company NSO. Documents obtained by Forbidden Stories reveal that in July 2020, the Israeli government ordered the seizure of files from NSO's offices to avoid sensitive information being revealed during the discovery process in the U.S. court. A gag order was also issued to suppress information about this seizure, aimed at protecting national security and foreign relations. The leaked files indicate that the Israeli Ministry of Justice influenced NSO's court filings, pushing for the removal of language that suggested Israel was a customer of NSO's technology. This intervention raises questions about Israel's commitment to regulating NSO impartially and providing justice to those affected by its spyware, Pegasus, which has been implicated in targeting journalists and human rights defenders globally. The lawsuit, initiated by WhatsApp in 2019, alleges that NSO abused its platform to hack the phones of numerous targets. Despite NSO's claims of immunity as a foreign government agent, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected its appeal, allowing WhatsApp to continue its legal pursuit. Recent court filings indicate that NSO has been uncooperative in the discovery process, prompting WhatsApp to call for accountability for NSO's alleged illegal activities. The situation highlights the complex relationship between the Israeli government and NSO, as well as the broader implications for privacy and security in the digital age.