The WhatsApp messaging app has been banned from all US House of Representatives devices, following a new cybersecurity directive.
In a memo sent on Monday, the Office of Cybersecurity labeled 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 notice came from the chief administrative officer and recommended staff switch to other apps, including Microsoft Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Signal, Apple’s iMessage, and FaceTime.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Signal, an app that also uses end-to-end encryption, was recently at the center of controversy.
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared detailed information about planned attacks on Yemen in at least two private Signal group chats.
One of those chats was created by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. It included top US security officials — and accidentally, Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.
The second chat was created by Hegseth himself and included his wife, brother, and about a dozen others.
Despite its encryption features, the Pentagon had warned staff against using Signal due to a technical vulnerability.
According to NPR, an “OPSEC special bulletin” issued on 18 March stated that Russian hacking groups could exploit the flaw to spy on encrypted communications.
The bulletin noted that Signal could be used to target “persons of interest.”
The Pentagon memo added that while third-party messaging apps like Signal may be used for sharing unclassified information, they must not be used for transmitting “non-public” unclassified data.