U.S. House bans WhatsApp on official devices over security concerns
The U.S. House of Representatives has banned Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp messaging service from all official devices, citing security and data protection concerns.
In a memo issued to House staff on Monday, the Office of Cybersecurity flagged WhatsApp as “a high risk to users 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 notice, sent by the chief administrative officer, recommended alternatives such as Microsoft Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Signal, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
Meta responded strongly to the decision. “We disagree with this decision in the strongest possible terms,” a spokesperson for the company said, adding that WhatsApp “provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.”
Earlier this year, WhatsApp disclosed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous users, including journalists and civil society members.
The House has previously restricted other apps over similar concerns, most notably banning TikTok from staff devices in 2022.
