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WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, has been restricted on all devices used by the United States House of Representatives, as outlined in a memo distributed to House staff on Monday.
The memo indicated that the “Office of Cybersecurity has identified WhatsApp as a significant risk for users. This is due to its unclear data protection measures, lack of encryption for stored data, and associated security vulnerabilities.”
The notification, issued by the chief administrative officer, suggested alternative messaging options such as Microsoft’s Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Signal, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
A spokesperson for Meta expressed strong disagreement with this decision, asserting that WhatsApp offers superior security compared to the approved alternatives.
Earlier this year in January, a representative from WhatsApp disclosed that the Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous users of the platform, including journalists and civil society members.
The House has previously prohibited other applications from staff devices, including TikTok in 2022, citing security concerns.
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