The US House of Representatives has banned Meta’s WhatsApp from all government-issued devices, citing serious cybersecurity risks and lack of transparency in user data protection.
WhatsApp, Meta's popular messaging platform, has been officially banned from all US House of Representatives-issued devices after a cybersecurity memo raised concerns over the app's safety and data handling practices, US media reported on Monday.
According to the memo circulated by the House's Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, WhatsApp was flagged as a “high risk” platform due to the “lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use.”
The directive urged House staffers to switch to alternative messaging services deemed more secure, such as Amazon’s Wickr, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, and Signal.
Meta responded sharply to the decision. A spokesperson said the company “disagrees with this move in the strongest possible terms,” and insisted that WhatsApp offers a higher level of security than the apps included in the memo.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp officials claimed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous users, including journalists and civil society members.
This is not the first platform to face a congressional ban. In 2022, the House barred the use of TikTok on government devices over similar national security concerns.
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World leaders convened in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a pivotal two-day NATO summit that could see member states agree to a historic rise in defence spending—or expose sharp divisions within the 32-member alliance.
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