Israel-based NSO Group requested a US court impose sanctions on Facebook after the social media giant took legal action alleging the company had disseminated malware through its WhatsApp messaging platform, Reuters reported.

In documents filed at a US district court, NSO Group argued Facebook had failed to comply with international law when it initiated the legal battle, by not adhering to Hague Convention rules when serving it notice of its legal move.

It called for the court to penalise Facebook to the tune of around $17,000 to cover its legal fees.

The move comes after NSO Group did not attend a hearing in the US scheduled as part of legal proceedings initiated by WhatsApp in October 2019. The messaging business claimed NSO Group used malware to spy on its users, a breach first uncovered in May 2019.

Following NSO Group’s absence, WhatsApp pushed for a default ruling, which could leave the Israeli company facing damages and injunctions.

Earlier this week Facebook filed documents asking the court to hold the default notice, in an effort to allow the case to proceed on the merit, Reuters stated. It explained Facebook argued it sought to meet international law when taking its legal action, and called on the court to dismiss NSO Group’s bid, claiming it was a stalling tactic.