The U.S. House of Representatives has prohibited the use of WhatsApp on all official devices due to security concerns.
The Office of Cybersecurity issued a memo on Monday, warning that the app poses risks to user data protection because of its lack of transparency and encryption for stored data.
The notice suggested alternative communication tools, such as Microsoft Teams, Signal, Wickr by Amazon, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
In response, Meta Platforms, the company behind WhatsApp, disagreed with the ban, claiming that WhatsApp offers better security than the approved alternatives.
Earlier this year, WhatsApp revealed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted users, including journalists and activists, raising further concerns over privacy.
This is not the first time the House has restricted apps, having banned TikTok from official devices in 2022 for similar reasons.
