WhatsApp Banned From U.S. House Devices Over Security Concerns

The U.S. House of Representatives has officially banned the use of WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by Meta Platforms, on all House-issued devices. According to a memo circulated on Monday by the Chief Administrative Officer’s Office of Cybersecurity, WhatsApp has been classified as a “high risk” application due to significant concerns over data protection and transparency.

The memo outlines three main reasons for the ban: insufficient transparency regarding WhatsApp’s data protection policies, the lack of encryption for stored data, and broader security vulnerabilities associated with the platform’s use. These factors led the cybersecurity office to conclude that WhatsApp poses an unacceptable risk to government users.

In place of WhatsApp, the memo advises House staff to use alternative messaging services that are deemed more secure. Recommended platforms include Microsoft Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Signal, Apple’s iMessage, and FaceTime. These services are viewed as offering stronger protections and better compliance with government cybersecurity standards.

Meta responded strongly to the ban, disputing the characterization of WhatsApp as a higher risk than the approved alternatives. A spokesperson for the company stated that WhatsApp offers stronger security features than some of the other recommended applications and rejected the decision “in the strongest possible terms.”

This move follows prior security-driven app bans within the U.S. legislative body. For example, in 2022, the House banned TikTok from official devices, citing national security concerns related to data collection and foreign influence.

The decision also comes in the wake of heightened concerns about surveillance and spyware. In January, a WhatsApp executive revealed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted multiple users on the platform, including journalists and civil society figures. This incident further elevated concerns over the app’s vulnerability to sophisticated cyberattacks.

Filed in Cellphones. Read more about Ban, Cybersecurity, Security and Whatsapp.