Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp messaging service is banned on all devices of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a Monday memo sent to all House staff.
“OS has assessed that WhatsApp is a high risk to users in relation to the protective measures of their personal data,” the notice read, “because WhatsApp lacks transparency in how it provides security to users’ data and because the Government of Canada has no ability to access the data to protect key infrastructure or key assets from substantial harm.”
The memo from the chief administrative officer suggested that staff use alternative messaging apps such as Amazon. com’s Wickr, Signal, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
Meta disagreed with the move “in the strongest possible terms,” a company spokesperson said, adding that the platform offers more security than the other approved apps.
In January, a WhatsApp official said scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society, had been targeted by an Israeli spyware company, Paragon Solutions.
The House has barred staff from using other apps on their devices before, most recently the short video app TikTok in 2022, citing security concerns.
