The Texas Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit on Thursday against WhatsApp and its parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., alleging that the companies misled consumers regarding the strength and scope of WhatsApp’s encryption measures. A spokesperson for Meta has denied these allegations.
The lawsuit, filed in Harrison County court, asserts that while WhatsApp and Meta publicly assure users that their messages are fully encrypted and private, the companies actually maintain access to "nearly all" private communications on the platform. The state argues that such representations are false and deceptive to the public.
"WhatsApp markets its services as safe and encrypted, but it has not delivered on those promises," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement. This legal action highlights the increasing tension between state regulators and Big Tech over data privacy protocols and the accuracy of security-related marketing.
