23 Jun 2025 18:11 PM WhatsApp Banned on House Staffers' Devices
The U.S. House of Representatives has officially banned the use of WhatsApp on government-managed devices, citing serious cybersecurity concerns, Axios has learned.
The decision, issued by the House's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), underscores growing concerns about data protection in congressional operations. The ban specifically targets the messaging app's lack of transparency in data protection practices, its failure to encrypt stored data, and the general security risks posed by its use.
'The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use,' the CAO wrote in an internal email obtained by Axios.
Effective immediately, House staffers are prohibited from downloading, maintaining, or accessing WhatsApp on any House-managed device—including mobile phones, desktops, or even via web browsers. The email also indicated that staffers with the app already installed will be contacted for removal.
This latest move is part of a broader effort by the CAO to regulate technology use within the House. In recent years, the office has imposed partial or full bans on several platforms, including DeepSeek, apps owned by ByteDance, and Microsoft Copilot. The use of AI tools has also come under scrutiny. While ChatGPT is not entirely banned, congressional offices are only permitted to use the paid version, ChatGPT Plus, under strict guidelines.
For secure communication, the CAO recommended alternatives such as Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Signal, iMessage, and FaceTime. Additionally, the office warned staffers to remain alert to phishing attempts and unsolicited messages from unknown numbers.
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23 Jun 2025 18:11 PM WhatsApp Banned on House Staffers' Devices
The U.S. House of Representatives has officially banned the use of WhatsApp on government-managed devices, citing serious cybersecurity concerns, Axios has learned. The decision, issued by the House's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), underscores growing concerns about data protection in congressional operations. The ban specifically targets the messaging app's lack of transparency in data protection practices, its failure to encrypt stored data, and the general security risks posed by its use. 'The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use,' the CAO wrote in an internal email obtained by Axios. Effective immediately, House staffers are prohibited from downloading, maintaining, or accessing WhatsApp on any House-managed device—including mobile phones, desktops, or even via web browsers. The email also indicated that staffers with the app already installed will be contacted for removal. This latest move is part of a broader effort by the CAO to regulate technology use within the House. In recent years, the office has imposed partial or full bans on several platforms, including DeepSeek, apps owned by ByteDance, and Microsoft Copilot. The use of AI tools has also come under scrutiny. While ChatGPT is not entirely banned, congressional offices are only permitted to use the paid version, ChatGPT Plus, under strict guidelines. For secure communication, the CAO recommended alternatives such as Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Signal, iMessage, and FaceTime. Additionally, the office warned staffers to remain alert to phishing attempts and unsolicited messages from unknown numbers.
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Elon Musk floated a new political party on Friday after falling out with President Trump over the big, beautiful bill. He launched a Thursday poll on the social platform X, which he owns, asking about whether or not the country needed a new faction for political nominees. 'The people have spoken. A new political party is needed in America to represent the 80% in the middle! And exactly 80% of people agree. This is fate,' Musk wrote, citing numbers from his survey . He followed up with a potential name for the group, ' The America Party .' In recent days, Musk has railed against Trump for suggesting the United States increase its national debt by $4 trillion as proposed in the bill. The tech giant said it 'undermines' all the work he did at the Department of Government Efficiency, geared towards reducing government spending. However, Trump said the Tesla CEO was mad over slashes to electric vehicle incentives instead of other clauses in the legislation. 'Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. … He had no problem with it,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate, because that's billions and billions of dollars,' he added. Still, Musk, who served as a White House adviser for over 100 days in the Trump administration, backed a call for Trump to be impeached and replaced by his own vice president. The president has publicly questioned Musk's motives for slamming his leadership right after leaving his role in the administration. 'I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It's a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given. If this Bill doesn't pass, there will be a 68% Tax Increase, and things far worse than that. I didn't create this mess, I'm just here to FIX IT. This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!' Musk also credited himself for Republicans' successful trifecta in November capturing the White House, in addition to majorities in the House and Senate. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk said in a post on his social platform X . 'Such ingratitude,' he added. Florida Republican Rep. Jimmy Patronis cast doubt on Musk's claim of creating 'The America Party' in Friday comments, suggesting the two will be 'hanging around again' shortly. 'Elon Musk is not gonna create a new political party,' Patronis told NewsNation's Blake Burman during an appearance on 'The Hill.' 'Trump knows that sometimes you're going to have falling out with those that you trust, you like, that you're friends with. It happens with us in DC all the time. So again. Mark my words. About a month from now, these guys will be hanging around again. The Hill
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He wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He was also effusive in his praise of Trump. 'The more I've gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,' Musk said at one point. 'Frankly, I love him.' Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as 'a truly great American.' When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into a makeshift showroom to illustrate his support. It's unclear what, if any, impact that Musk's comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate. During the transition period, he helped whip up opposition to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a 'very delicate balance' that could be upended with major changes. The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill. However, Musk's criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk's interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was 'still time to fix it.' 'The Senate version will be more aggressive,' Lee said. 'It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won't pass.' Only two Republicans — Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week. Davidson took note of Musk's comments on social media. 'Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,' he wrote. 'Don't hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.' The Congressional Budget Office, in a preliminary estimate, said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid , food stamps and other services would reduce spending by slightly more than $1 trillion over the same period. House Republican leaders say increased economic growth would allow the bill to be deficit neutral or reducing, but outside watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the bill would add $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, over the next decade. About Republican's 'big, beautiful bill' House Republicans have narrowly passed a sweeping tax and spending bill and delivered a major victory to President Donald Trump. It includes extended tax cuts, added requirements for federal benefits eligibility, and an increase to the national debt ceiling – all major sticking points that were agreed upon by a 215-214 vote in the House on Thursday morning. 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