WhatsApp Blocked On US House Devices Over Transparency, Encryption Concerns — Meta App Deemed 'High Risk' While iMessage, FaceTime And Teams Get Green Light - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN)

The U.S. House of Representatives has officially banned Meta Platforms Inc.’s META WhatsApp from staff devices, citing serious cybersecurity concerns and recommending rival apps as safer alternatives.

What Happened: In a memo circulated Monday, the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer informed House staff that WhatsApp is now prohibited on all government-managed devices, reported Reuters.

The Office of Cybersecurity flagged the app as "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 memo encouraged House staff to use messaging platforms deemed more secure, including Signal, Apple Inc.'s AAPL iMessage and FaceTime, Microsoft Corporation's MSFT Teams and Amazon.com, Inc.'s AMZN Wickr, the report added.

See Also: Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Dangled ‘$100 Million Signing Bonuses' To OpenAI Team Members, Says Sam Altman: Happy ‘None' Of Our Best People Took Them

A Meta spokesperson said the company strongly disagrees with the decision, underscoring that its platform offers a higher level of security compared to the other approved apps.

Why It’s Important: The move comes months after reports that Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions targeted WhatsApp users, including journalists and civil society members, the report said.

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The app joins a growing list of banned platforms—TikTok was barred in 2022 due to similar national security concerns.

Earlier this month, WhatsApp also denied Iranian government claims that it is being used by Israel for surveillance. Iran warned citizens against using WhatsApp, Telegram and similar apps, calling them tools for Israeli spying.

WhatsApp responded by emphasizing its end-to-end encryption, refusal to share mass user data with governments and lack of precise location tracking.

Price Action: Meta shares rose 2.37% during Monday's regular trading session and added another 0.91% in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate a consistent upward trend for META across short, medium and long-term timeframes. More performance details are available here.