US House of Representatives bans WhatsApp for staffers over security concerns

Meta disagrees with move 'in strongest possible terms,' according to tech giant which also owns Facebook, Instagram

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, United States (AA) - Meta's WhatsApp messaging platform has been banned from all government-issued devices by the US House of Representatives after a memo banning the service was sent to all House staff on Monday, according to media outlets.

"(The) 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," said the memo sent by the chief administrative officer of the tech giant.

The House memo also recommended that staff members use other messaging apps, including Amazon.com's Wickr, Apple's iMessage and FaceTime, and Microsoft Corp's Teams platform, Signal.

A Meta spokesperson released a statement saying the company disagreed with the move "in the strongest possible terms," adding that the WhatsApp platform provided a higher level of security than the other approved apps on the House memo.

In January, a WhatsApp official said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society.

In 2022, the House banned all staffers from using the TikTok social media messaging platform due to security issues.

Kaynak:

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