The United States House of Representatives has officially prohibited the use of WhatsApp, the messaging service owned by Meta Platforms, on all House-issued devices.
The ban follows recommendations from the Office of Cybersecurity and reflects concerns over data protection and potential vulnerabilities.
A memo distributed Monday by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer informed House staff of the decision.
The directive highlights security risks identified by cybersecurity officials and points to deficiencies in data protection measures on the platform.
The memo stated that WhatsApp poses “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.”
Staffers were urged to use alternative, approved platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Signal, iMessage, and FaceTime for all official communications moving forward.
In response, Meta voiced strong opposition to the decision.
“We disagree with this decision in the strongest possible terms,” a company spokesperson said, asserting that WhatsApp provides “higher levels of security than many of the approved alternatives.”
The restriction comes amid heightened scrutiny over cybersecurity practices across federal institutions. Earlier this year, a WhatsApp executive disclosed that Israeli surveillance firm Paragon Solutions had allegedly targeted multiple users of the app, including journalists and members of civil society.
This latest action echoes past efforts by the House to address digital security threats posed by consumer apps.
In 2022, lawmakers similarly banned TikTok from official devices due to concerns over data privacy.
