Meta Platforms Inc. today said it disagrees “in the strongest possible terms” after its WhatsApp messaging service was banned on all U.S. House of Representatives devices.
The House’s chief administrative officer, or CAO, had earlier emailed staffers to inform them that the Office of Cybersecurity had deemed WhatsApp “high-risk” because of a “lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks.”
The email states that congressional staff are prohibited from downloading or using WhatsApp’s mobile, desktop or web versions on any government-issued device. Those who had the app on any of their government-provided devices would be contacted and asked to remove it, the message added, suggesting staff opt instead for Signal, Microsoft Teams, iMessage, FaceTime or Amazon.com Inc.’s messaging service Wickr.
“Protecting the People’s House is our topmost priority, and we are always monitoring and analyzing for potential cybersecurity risks that could endanger the data of House Members and staff,” House CAO Catherine Szpindor said in a statement to the media. “We routinely review the list of House-authorized apps and will amend the list as deemed appropriate.”
Meta seems to have taken umbrage with the accusation that its messaging service is any less secure than other apps currently available to government employees. Meta’s communications director, Andy Stone, wrote on X that the company disagreed with the “House Chief Administrative Officer’s characterization in the strongest possible terms.”
“Messages on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default, meaning only the recipients and not even WhatsApp can see them,” Stone said. “This is a higher level of security than most of the apps on the CAO’s approved list that do not offer that protection.”
This adds to the list of wrangles Meta is currently having with the government, including the legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission. The company stands accused of breaching anticompetition laws for its purchase of WhatsApp and photo-sharing app Instagram.
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg seems to have fixed what had once been a rocky relationship with President Donald Trump. Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth recently accepted the position of lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve’s new Executive Innovation Corps, while last year, Meta shifted its policy when it opened up its AI models to U.S. defense contractors.
Photo: Unsplash
Support our open free content by sharing and engaging with our content and community.
Join theCUBE Alumni Trust Network
Where Technology Leaders Connect, Share Intelligence & Create Opportunities
11.4k+
CUBE Alumni Network
C-level and Technical
Domain Experts
Connect with 11,413+ industry leaders from our network of tech and business leaders forming a unique trusted network effect.
News Media is a recognized leader in digital media innovation serving innovative audiences and brands, bringing together cutting-edge technology, influential content, strategic insights and real-time audience engagement. As the parent company of News, theCUBE Network, theCUBE Research, CUBE365, theCUBE AI and theCUBE SuperStudios — such as those established in Silicon Valley and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) — News Media operates at the intersection of media, technology, and AI. .
Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, News Media has built a powerful ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands, with a reach of 15+ million elite tech professionals. The company’s new, proprietary theCUBE AI Video cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.
