Overview

• The House Cybersecurity Office classified WhatsApp as “high risk” after finding limited transparency on user data protection and no end-to-end encryption for stored messages.
• A directive from the Chief Administrative Officer instructs staff to remove WhatsApp from all mobile, desktop and browser platforms immediately and prohibits new installations.
• Congressional employees are advised to switch to approved messaging tools such as Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Signal, iMessage and FaceTime for official communications.
• The WhatsApp ban joins prior restrictions on DeepSeek, ByteDance apps and Microsoft Copilot in a broader effort to tighten controls over non-government messaging services.
• The Pentagon has independently warned its personnel about vulnerabilities in Signal, underscoring ongoing concerns about commercial messaging platforms.