U.S. House of Representatives bans WhatsApp from official devices
The U.S. residence of Representatives has officially banned using WhatsApp on all authorities-controlled devices, citing substantial cybersecurity concerns. The directive, communicated in a memo to congressional body of workers, was once issued via the workplace of the leader Administrative Officer through its office of Cybersecurity.
The internal observe categorized WhatsApp as a “high danger” application, pointing to several troubling factors, which include insufficient transparency in how user information is protected, the absence of encryption for stored facts, and other capacity vulnerabilities that pose a risk to statistics protection.
according to a file with the aid of Reuters, the cybersecurity office expressed particular challenge over WhatsApp’s facts dealing with practices, warning that continued use of the app on reliable devices ought to expose touchy information to unauthorized get right of entry to.
As a part of the brand new directive, lawmakers and team of workers were advised to uninstall WhatsApp immediately and migrate to alternative verbal exchange equipment deemed greater secure. authorized messaging platforms now consist of Microsoft teams, Amazon’s Wickr, sign, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime.
In reaction, a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We disagree with this selection in the most powerful feasible phrases,” insisting that the platform offers robust give up-to-give up encryption and industry-leading protection features. The enterprise defended its record, pointing out that it outperforms some of the picks advocated by way of the house.
This development comes months after WhatsApp confirmed in January that customers on its platform, including journalists and civil society participants, have been targeted through spyware developed by way of Israeli association Paragon solutions.
The move mirrors a similar movement taken in 2022, when the residence banned TikTok from authorities-issued gadgets amid fears over facts privacy and country wide safety. on the time, the house’s cybersecurity officers additionally categorised TikTok as “high risk” and informed that it’s removed from all congressional devices.
The brand new ban underscores ongoing concerns within the U.S. government over the security of digital communication systems and displays a tightening stance on technologies looked as if it would threaten facts integrity or user privacy in sensitive environments.
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