WhatsApp has taken a major hit in its home market of the USA. The House of Representatives has banned the use of WhatsApp on government devices. The House made this decision after learning about data security issues and cybersecurity risks from WhatsApp, among other reasons, Axios reported. Also, confirmed by Reuters.
A notification was sent to all government personnel to delete WhatsApp from their desktop computer, smartphones, and every device. The memo indicated that this was also for personal devices. The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) shared these new rules in an email.
“Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp 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 read.
Instead of WhatsApp, government employees are now instructed to message on more secure platforms like Signal, Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Apple’s iMessage, and FaceTime. In addition, they are alerted to be aware of phishing scams and messages from unknown numbers.
Meta Platforms, the parent company of WhatsApp, has voiced strong disapproval of the ruling. Andy Stone, spokesperson for the company, told Axios, “We strongly disagree with this decision by the House Chief Administrative Officer.”
Stone defended WhatsApp’s encryption feature by stating, “Messages on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default, meaning only the receiver and the sender can see them, not even WhatsApp.”
Meta continues to be optimistic that the House will reconsider, and allow for the use of WhatsApp again, along with the Senate.
A WhatsApp official said in January that Israeli spyware company, Paragon Solutions, targeted numerous users on WhatsApp, including journalists and civil society members. The House banned other apps from staff devices in the past, such as the short video app TikTok, in 2022 due to security concerns.
Moreover, earlier this month, Iran told its citizens to also delete WhatsApp amid the conflicts with Israel. Iranian officials suspected sensitive data was being shared through mobile apps, like WhatsApp. The platform is used frequently in Iran for personal and professional communication.
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