House Bans WhatsApp: A Clash Over Encryption and Data Transparency

Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 7:06 AM CDT

US House Bans WhatsApp Citing Significant Security Risks

The U.S. House of Representatives has officially prohibited staff from using Meta's WhatsApp on all government-issued devices, citing critical security vulnerabilities.

The ban, detailed in a memo from the House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), underscores growing concerns over the messaging platform's data security practices.

According to the CAO's Office of Cybersecurity, WhatsApp is considered "a high-risk to users." The determination points to a "lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use." As a result, all mobile, desktop, and web versions of the application are now forbidden on government hardware.

Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, has vehemently disputed the assessment. "We disagree with the House Chief Administrative Officer's characterization in the strongest possible terms," stated Meta's Communications Director, Andy Stone. He argued that the app's default end-to-end encryption provides a "higher level" of security than many currently approved applications. "We know members and their staffs regularly use WhatsApp," Stone added, expressing hope that the House will align with the Senate, where the app is officially permitted.

In place of WhatsApp, the CAO has recommended approved alternatives such as Signal, Microsoft Teams, Amazon's Wickr, and Apple's iMessage/FaceTime.

This move adds WhatsApp to a growing list of applications banned by the House, which already includes TikTok, OpenAI's ChatGPT, and DeepSeek.

The ban comes just a week after Meta announced plans to introduce advertising on WhatsApp, raising further questions about how user data will be leveraged while claiming privacy will not be sacrificed.