The US House of Representatives has issued a ban on the use of WhatsApp on government devices, driven by concerns over data security and potential cybersecurity threats. This directive, communicated in a memo, requires all government personnel to remove WhatsApp from their devices, including desktops, smartphones, and even personal devices utilized for official purposes. The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) sent the official notification.
The Office of Cybersecurity classified WhatsApp as a high-risk application because of its lack of transparency in data protection, failure to encrypt stored data, and associated security vulnerabilities. Employees are now instructed to use more secure alternatives, such as Signal, Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Apple’s iMessage, and FaceTime, and are warned about phishing scams and messages from unknown senders.
Meta Platforms, the parent company of WhatsApp, has strongly objected to the ban. Spokesperson Andy Stone criticized the decision, though he highlighted WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption as a key security feature, stating that messages are only accessible to the sender and recipient.
Meta is hopeful that the House, alongside the Senate, will reassess the decision and allow the continued use of WhatsApp. It has been reported that Paragon Solutions, an Israeli spyware company, targeted numerous WhatsApp users including journalists and members of civil society. This action follows the banning of TikTok on staff devices in 2022 due to security concerns. Furthermore, Iran urged its citizens to delete WhatsApp amidst the conflicts with Israel, suspecting potential breaches of data through the platform.