Meta says a spyware company has been targeting WhatsApp users with malicious links, despite a US court order banning such activity.

In a statement, Meta said WhatsApp detected and blocked spear-phishing attempts linked to the NSO Group.

The company said the attacks appeared to target a small number of users in Jordan and Lebanon, and that it also identified NSO creating test accounts and groups on the platform.

NSO Group, originally founded in Israel and now under US ownership, developed the Pegasus spyware—once considered one of the most advanced surveillance tools available.

Pegasus exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp to infiltrate phones and extract sensitive data, including messages, photos, and call records.

In a previous legal case, Meta won $167 million in damages after a court found NSO had used WhatsApp to target users.

That award was later reduced to $4 million on appeal, but the court upheld a permanent injunction prohibiting NSO from targeting WhatsApp or its users.

Meta said the latest incidents indicate NSO has breached the court’s injunction, and the company has asked the court to find NSO in contempt for violating the order.