Meta's WhatsApp banned on US House of Representatives devices

Meta Platforms' popular messaging service, WhatsApp, has been prohibited from all United States House of Representatives devices, effective Monday, according to an internal memo distributed to House staff. 

The ban cites "high risk" security concerns related to the application's data handling and encryption practices.

The notice from the chief administrative officer, issued by the Office of Cybersecurity, stated that WhatsApp poses a significant 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 memo urged House staff to transition to alternative messaging applications. Recommended platforms include Microsoft Corp's Teams, Amazon.com's Wickr, Signal, and Apple's iMessage and FaceTime, all of which presumably meet the House's security standards.

Meta disagreed with the move "in the strongest possible terms," a company spokesperson said, noting that the platform provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.

In January, a WhatsApp official said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society.

The House has banned other apps from staff devices in the past, including the short video app TikTok in 2022 due to security issues.