WhatsApp Banned On US House Of Representatives Devices

Popular messaging service WhatsApp has reportedly been banned from all US House of Representatives devices. In a memo, the House’s chief administrative officer (CAO) told staffers that the Office of Cybersecurity “has deemed WhatsApp a high risk”. Congressional staff members are banned from downloading or using WhatsApp, whether the mobile, desktop, or web browser version, on government-issued devices.

Axios, citing an internal email from the government office, reported that staff members must remove WhatsApp from their devices if they have the app installed on their devices. "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 CAO said.

At the same time, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said that the messaging platform is end-to-end encrypted by default and added that it is a higher level of security than most of the apps on the CAO's approved list that do not offer that protection. The House has previously prohibited other applications on staff devices, such as TikTok in 2022, citing security concerns.