A major allegation has been leveled against WhatsApp's encryption feature. A lawsuit has been filed against Meta's instant messaging app in a US court, claiming that WhatsApp users' chats can be read.
WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption feature is under scrutiny. A new lawsuit has been filed against Meta's instant messaging platform in the US, alleging that the company can read users' private chats. This lawsuit against WhatsApp has been filed by an international group. It questions WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption. Elon Musk has also reacted to this matter, saying that WhatsApp is not secure. Questions are also being raised about the Signal app.
According to a Bloomberg report, the International Group of Plaintiffs claims that Meta reads the chats of millions of WhatsApp users every day. The company's claim of end-to-end encryption is false. WhatsApp's Global Head, Will Cathcart, responded to this allegation, stating that it is completely baseless. WhatsApp cannot read users' messages because its encryption keys are stored on the user's phone, which Meta does not have access to. This is the same firm that has made baseless allegations before. Let's understand this allegation against WhatsApp in these 5 points...
Is WhatsApp's privacy claim false?
This lawsuit against WhatsApp has been filed in the US District Court of San Francisco, alleging that the company is misleading users in the name of its encryption feature. It claims that Meta illegally stores users' chats and analyzes the conversations to use the information for ad generation.
Questions raised in several countries, including India
Questions have also been raised about WhatsApp's encryption feature in several countries, including India. Besides India, plaintiff groups in Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa have called WhatsApp's claims about its encryption features hollow.
Will action be taken against WhatsApp?
The likelihood of action being taken against WhatsApp in this case is very low, as courts require concrete evidence in such matters. It is difficult for the plaintiff group to gather evidence for such allegations. Therefore, proving the allegations could take a very long time.
Elon Musk has also raised questions.
Elon Musk has also reacted to these allegations against WhatsApp. Musk called WhatsApp insecure. He also questioned Signal's end-to-end encryption.
WhatsApp is not secure. Even Signal is questionable.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2026
Use 𝕏 Chat. https://t.co/MWXCOmkbTD
Meta says the allegations are baseless.
WhatsApp's global head has called these allegations baseless. Meta is preparing to file a case against the lawyers who sued WhatsApp. The company is seeking legal advice for this. Company spokesperson Andy Stone has denied these allegations against WhatsApp.
