The U.S. House of Representatives has prohibited the use of WhatsApp on all government-issued devices, citing cybersecurity risks in a memo sent to staff members on Monday.
Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor informed House staff that the messaging application poses significant security threats. “The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed 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 email stated, according to Axios.
The ban extends to all House devices, including mobile phones, desktop computers, and web browser versions of the platform. Staff members who currently have WhatsApp installed on House-managed devices will be contacted and required to remove the application immediately.
Meta quickly pushed back against the decision through spokesperson Andy Stone, who posted on X that the company disagrees “in the strongest possible terms.” Stone emphasized that WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption by default, stating, “Messages on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default, meaning only the recipients and not even WhatsApp can see them. This is a higher level of security than most of the apps on the CAO’s approved list that do not offer that protection.”
The Meta representative also noted that both House members and their staff regularly use the platform and expressed hope that House members would eventually be able to use WhatsApp officially, similar to their Senate counterparts.
In defending the action, Szpindor told CNBC that “protecting the People’s House is our topmost priority,” explaining that the ban came after “monitoring and analyzing for potential cybersecurity risks that could endanger the data of House Members and staff.”
This latest restriction continues a pattern of technology bans implemented by the House’s cybersecurity office. Previous prohibitions have targeted ChatGPT, DeepSeek, TikTok, and Microsoft Copilot, with various levels of restrictions applied to each platform.
The WhatsApp ban highlights ongoing tensions between government security requirements and the widespread adoption of consumer messaging platforms. While Meta argues that WhatsApp’s encryption provides superior security compared to approved alternatives, House cybersecurity officials remain concerned about data protection and transparency issues surrounding the popular messaging service.
