WASHINGTON, D.C.: WhatsApp banned from all U.S. House-managed devices due to security concerns, as announced by the House’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in an internal email. The decision, disclosed Monday, cited serious risks to user data, sparking debate between lawmakers and WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta.
According to the CAO’s Office of Cybersecurity, WhatsApp was deemed a high-risk application because of “lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks.” Staff were instructed to remove the app from any government-issued devices, including mobile phones, desktops, and browsers.
“If you have a WhatsApp application on your House-managed device, you will be contacted to remove it,” the email warned.
The ban follows a trend of increased digital scrutiny in Congress. Similar restrictions have been placed on AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and DeepSeek, as well as ByteDance apps. The House has also limited use of ChatGPT, only allowing its paid version, ChatGPT Plus, under strict conditions.
Meta responded swiftly. Andy Stone, a spokesperson for the company, said, “We disagree with the House Chief Administrative Officer’s characterization in the strongest possible terms.” He stressed that WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption by default, a stronger safeguard than many other approved apps.
Despite Meta’s defence, the House has given the green light to alternatives like Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Signal, iMessage and FaceTime. Staffers were also reminded to be cautious of phishing scams and suspicious texts.
The WhatsApp banned announcement underscores growing concern in Washington over data privacy and cybersecurity in both messaging apps and AI platforms used within government systems.
