Judge Tosses Salvadoran Journalists' Suit Against NSO Group Over Jurisdiction

A judge dismissed Salvadoran journalists' lawsuit against NSO Group for lack of California jurisdiction.

On September 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge James Donato dismissed a lawsuit filed by Salvadoran journalists from El Faro against Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group. The dismissal was based on the court's finding that it lacked personal jurisdiction over NSO Group in California, where the case was filed.

The journalists claimed that between June 2020 and November 2021, their iPhones were infected a total of 226 times with NSO's Pegasus spyware. However, Judge Donato found these activities insufficiently connected to California, noting that the alleged spyware attacks targeted individuals in El Salvador and that NSO's corporate operations are situated in Israel. He noted explicitly, "None of this has anything to do with California." The dismissal ruling emphasized that location-based jurisdiction standards were not met.

This ruling follows prior judicial activity where the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived the case in July 2025 after a previous dismissal, admonishing that the district court had insufficiently examined the plaintiffs’ connections to the United States.

The case spotlights the legal complexities and jurisdictional challenges that arise when international plaintiffs seek accountability from foreign technology companies in U.S. courts. It highlights ongoing debates about how U.S. courts should handle cross-border cyber activities and privacy violations, especially when the affected parties and incidents lie outside the United States.