Overview
- The Commerce Department ended an inquiry into allegations that Meta could read WhatsApp chats, with sources saying the probe was shut down soon after the lead investigator tried to coordinate with other agencies.
- An unnamed special agent in the Office of Export Enforcement spent much of 2025 on the case and wrote that there was no limit to the types of WhatsApp messages Meta could view, including texts, photos, audio, and video.
- The agent also alleged a tiered permissions system dating to at least 2019 and said some contractors could access messages, with interviews reported to include Accenture content moderators.
- WhatsApp called the claims "patently false" and said its end-to-end encryption prevents the company from reading messages, while the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said the employee’s allegations were unsubstantiated and that it is not investigating Meta or WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp has used end-to-end encryption since 2016 and serves more than two billion users, so the unverified claims and swift shutdown raise broader questions about how authorities assess and oversee privacy on encrypted platforms.