The ruling is arguably the most important to date against the Israeli maker of the Pegasus spyware.

It’s one part of a strategy to combat the fast-growing scheme that has cost victims billions of dollars.

The filing also suggests that customers have a minimal role in operating the spyware, in an apparent contradiction of past NSO Group claims.

A Meta spokesperson told CyberScoop the company “remains committed to working with the research community” but wouldn’t commit to continuing a key program from 2020.

The issue, discovered and reported by Meta in 2019, affected hundreds of millions of users across Meta platforms.

Letters sent to Sen. Warner and shared exclusively with CyberScoop show platforms’ approach to AI and elections following calls that they aren’t doing enough.

Sen. Mark Warner said influence operations are easy and cheap, and their social media audience is more willing to believe them.

An earlier ruling in the case had paralyzed communications between the government and online platforms to coordinate on mis- and disinformation.

An Israeli firm identified by Meta and OpenAI last week is an example of a burgeoning industry offering influence-for-hire services.

Meta researchers said the influence operation known as Doppelganger continues to target European elections and Ukraine policy with little impact.