The Israeli electronic surveillance company NSO Group was ordered to pay $167 million in damages to WhatsApp and its parent company Meta, bringing a close to six years of litigation.

The case caps a six-year battle between the social media giant and the surveillance firm, casting an unusual amount of light on the spyware industry.

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.