US Congress bans WhatsApp to protect digital sovereignty
On June 23, 2025, the United States Congress issued an official directive through the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to prohibit the use of WhatsApp on all government-issued devices used by members and staff.
The ban applies to smartphones, laptops, and access via WhatsApp Web, requiring the mandatory removal of the application from all institutional equipment.
An internal memo released the same day explains that this move stems from growing cybersecurity concerns. According to the document, WhatsApp does not meet the technical standards needed to ensure secure and confidential communications within government institutions.
Key concerns include the ambiguity surrounding message storage, inadequate encryption of backups, and potential vulnerabilities that could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data through technical flaws or unprotected metadata.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, disputed these concerns. A company representative emphasized that all WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted by default, making it impossible for external parties including Meta itself to access their content.
Meta argued that the app is trusted by governments, NGOs, and journalists worldwide, and claimed the congressional decision reflects an incomplete and unfair assessment of its security protocols.
In place of WhatsApp, Congress is now encouraging the use of alternative platforms deemed more secure. These include Microsoft Teams for internal collaboration, Signal for high-security communications, Wickr developed by Amazon and used in military settings as well as iMessage and FaceTime, which are already widely implemented across federal agencies.
This ban is part of a broader initiative to strengthen digital security within federal institutions. Similar steps have been taken in the past, such as prohibiting TikTok on official devices and restricting access to certain AI platforms that are seen as overly invasive or incompatible with government privacy standards.
With this decision, Congress reaffirms its commitment to making digital sovereignty a central pillar in protecting national institutions.
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