WhatsApp prohibited on US House devices citing data risk
Meta strongly disputes the US House’s security assessment of WhatsApp.
Meta Platforms’ messaging service WhatsApp has been banned from all devices used by the US House of Representatives, according to an internal memo distributed to staff on Monday.
The memo, issued by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, stated that the Office of Cybersecurity had classified WhatsApp as a high-risk application.
The assessment cited concerns about the platform’s data protection practices, lack of transparency regarding user data handling, absence of stored data encryption, and associated security risks.
Staff were advised to use alternative messaging platforms deemed more secure, including Microsoft Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Signal, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
Meta responded to the decision, stating it ‘strongly disagreed’ with the assessment and maintained that WhatsApp offers stronger security measures than some of the recommended alternatives.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp disclosed that Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous users, including journalists and civil society members.
The US House of Representatives has previously restricted other applications due to security concerns. In 2022, it prohibited the use of TikTok on official devices.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!