Latest news with #CourtneyRozen
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Business
- USA Today
WhatsApp faces ban from US House of Representatives over security concerns
Meta Platforms' WhatsApp messaging service has been banned from all U.S. House of Representatives devices, according to a memo sent to all House staff on Monday. The notice said 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 memo, from the chief administrative officer, recommended using other messaging apps, including Microsoft Corp's Teams platform, Wickr, Signal, and Apple's iMessage and FaceTime. Meta disagreed with the move "in the strongest possible terms," a company spokesperson said, noting that the platform provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps. In January, a WhatsApp official said Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions had targeted scores of its users, including journalists and members of civil society. The House has banned other apps from staff devices in the past, including the short video app TikTok in 2022 due to security issues. Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Additional reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Sanders; Editing by Richard Chang
The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
WhatsApp banned on US House of Representatives devices
FILE PHOTO: A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed WhatsApp logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Meta Platforms WhatsApp messaging service has been banned on all U.S. House of Representatives devices, according to a memo sent to House staff on Monday. The notice to all House staff said 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 memo, from the Chief Administrative Officer, recommended other messaging apps, including Microsoft Corp's Teams platform, Wickr, Signal, Apple's iMessage, and Facetime. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Courtney Rozen)
