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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At least three paramilitary troops and three suspected militants were killed after heavily armed attackers stormed a Rangers security compound in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, authorities said.
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Japan remained on high alert Saturday as Typhoon Mekkhala approached the eastern coast after Typhoon Higos weakened into a tropical depression. Authorities warned of continued heavy rain, flooding, and landslides, according to media reports.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
Germany and Poland are bracing for sweltering conditions as a deadly heatwave that has gripped Western Europe moves east, with temperatures expected to approach 40C over the weekend.
At least three paramilitary troops and three suspected militants were killed after heavily armed attackers stormed a Rangers security compound in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, authorities said.
"I will be president for only a couple of weeks, and then I will resign," Vucic told supporters at a pro-government rally in the capital, Belgrade.
The death toll in the twin earthquakes which rocked Venezuela earlier this week has risen to 1,430, top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Saturday. Another 3,200 people were injured and 3,100 left homeless by the disaster, he added on state television.
Australia said it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms found to have failed to uphold a groundbreaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.
France said on Saturday it was considering taking reciprocal measures after Burkina Faso broke off diplomatic relations.
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