A message delivered to all House staff on Monday said that the WhatsApp messaging service from Meta Platforms has been prohibited on all devices used by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The alert stated that 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.”
The chief administrative officer’s memo suggested using other messaging apps, such as Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, Amazon.com’s Wickr, Signal, and Microsoft Corp.’s Teams platform.
A representative for the firm stated that Meta opposed the action “in the strongest possible terms,” pointing out that the platform offers more security than the other authorized apps.
A WhatsApp staffer said in January that the Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted numerous WhatsApp users, including journalists and civil society members.
Due to security concerns, the House has previously prohibited various apps from staff smartphones, such as the 2022 TikTok app for short videos.
