Meta Sued Over Claims It Can Access ‘Encrypted’ WhatsApp Chats
Meta Platforms, Inc. is facing a class-action lawsuit after plaintiffs accused the company of misleading WhatsApp users about privacy.
The case targets WhatsApp’s core promise: end-to-end encryption, which should ensure only the sender and receiver can read messages.
Lawsuit Claims Meta Can Still Access Chats
The plaintiffs argue Meta can still access, store, and analyze WhatsApp chats using internal tools.
They say whistleblowers and former contractors revealed the access. According to the complaint, these sources claimed they had “unfettered access” to user messages.
US Authorities Reject Investigation Claims
Some early reports suggested U.S. authorities had launched an investigation.
However, the U.S. Department of Commerce later dismissed the claims. A spokesperson said the investigator’s statements lacked evidence. The department also confirmed it has not opened any official probe into Meta or WhatsApp.
Meta Denies Allegations
Meta rejected the lawsuit and called it “categorically false.”
The company also described the claims as “absurd” and “a frivolous work of fiction.”
Meta insists WhatsApp has used the Signal protocol for over a decade. The company says the system prevents anyone, including WhatsApp, from reading message content.
What Happens Next
The case continues in U.S. federal court.
The court has not issued a final ruling. For now, the lawsuit has reignited debate over whether big tech can truly guarantee private messaging.
