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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Iran on 4 August approved the creation of a National Defence Council, following June’s brief air conflict with Israel, the country’s most serious military confrontation since the 1980s war with Iraq.
Hamas on 4 August said it is ready to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid to hostages held in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions, as outrage mounts over the deteriorating condition of captives and a rising death toll from hunger.
All five workers trapped underground in a collapse at Chile’s El Teniente copper mine have been found dead, regional prosecutors confirmed on 4 August, bringing the death toll to six.
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