US Congress bans WhatsApp on company devices due to "high risks": Signal and iMessage recommended instead
US congressmen can no longer use WhatsApp on their work phones and computers. Congress considers the messenger too dangerous.
US congressmen can no longer use WhatsApp on their work phones and computers. Congress considers the messenger too dangerous.
This was reported by Engadget , citing a letter from the US House of Representatives Administrative Office (CAO), which was sent to employees on June 24.
The explanation says that the messenger was deemed “high risk” due to “lack of transparency about data protection, lack of encryption of stored data, and potential security vulnerabilities.” Instead, Congressional staff were allowed to use Microsoft Teams, Signal, Wickr, iMessage, and FaceTime.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, disagreed with Congress' assessment. Company spokesman Andy Stone said:
"We strongly disagree with WhatsApp's characterization. Messages in the app are end-to-end encrypted by default, even WhatsApp cannot read them. This is a higher level of protection than most apps on the CAO list."
This move is a continuation of the policy of restricting access to popular services that are considered potentially dangerous for government agencies. The list of “unwanted” programs already includes ChatGPT, TikTok, DeepSeek, and Microsoft Copilot. Some of these applications are also already banned at the federal and state levels.
The issue of digital hygiene in the US government has become particularly relevant after numerous incidents of data leaks, phishing attacks, and attempts at influence by foreign states. Back in 2020, Congress restricted the use of Zoom on official devices, and in 2023, it banned TikTok due to concerns about data collection by Chinese servers.
As a reminder, we also published an article about how Meta is preparing to launch advertising for the first time in one of the main sections of WhatsApp. Users will see ads after viewing several "Statuses" - analogues of Instagram Stories.
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Read the country's main IT news in our Telegram
Security first—smart move by Congress! Speaking of smart tech, I recently discovered an AI-powered photo editor that feels just as revolutionary as switching to Signal. Imagine telling your editing app 'Make this image Congress-level secure—crisp and professional!' and https://photocat.com/ AI delivers instantly. No risky filters, just conversational magic. Maybe DC staffers need this for their press photos too!
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