WhatsApp Banned on US House Devices Over Security Concerns and Data Protection Risks

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States House of Representatives has officially prohibited the use of WhatsApp on all House-issued devices due to mounting cybersecurity concerns and lack of clarity over the app’s data protection practices.

In a formal advisory circulated on Monday, the Office of Cybersecurity warned that WhatsApp presents a high-level security risk, citing its insufficient transparency regarding user data handling, the absence of stored data encryption, and potential vulnerabilities that could expose sensitive information to external threats.

The memo, issued by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House, recommended the use of more secure alternatives such as Microsoft Teams, Amazon’s Wickr, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, and Signal, which offer stronger data security frameworks.

Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has not yet responded to media inquiries regarding the decision.

This development follows growing concerns within the US government about secure communication channels, especially after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was reported to have shared sensitive information about planned US military operations in Yemen through private Signal groups. One of the groups included senior security officials and inadvertently, a journalist from The Atlantic. A second group reportedly consisted of personal contacts including Hegseth’s family members.

Signal, while known for end-to-end encryption, was also flagged by the Pentagon in a March 18 OPSEC (Operational Security) bulletin, which warned of a technical vulnerability that could be exploited by Russian hacking groups to monitor encrypted chats and potentially target specific individuals or government agencies.

The Pentagon clarified that third-party messaging platforms like Signal may be used for unclassified communication, but strictly not for sharing non-public unclassified or sensitive internal government data.

The WhatsApp ban is the latest step in a broader government-wide push to tighten digital security protocols and prevent data breaches that could undermine national security.

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