The US House of Representatives has officially banned the use of WhatsApp on all government-managed devices used by congressional staffers, citing serious cybersecurity concerns, Axios reported Monday.
The decision was communicated on Monday through an internal email from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the report said.
The Office of Cybersecurity has classified WhatsApp as a “high-risk” application due to the lack of transparency in how user data is protected, the absence of encrypted data storage, and overall potential security vulnerabilities.
"House staff are NOT allowed to download or keep the WhatsApp application on any House device, including any mobile, desktop, or web browser versions of its products," the memo stated as quoted by the media report.
It also warned that staffers with the app on their devices would be contacted for immediate removal.
Staffers have also been instructed to use only the paid version of ChatGPT, ChatGPT Plus, due to AI-related data risks.
The move aligns with broader efforts in Congress to tighten digital security. In recent years, the CAO has placed similar restrictions on other technologies, including ByteDance apps, DeepSeek, and Microsoft Copilot.
The CAO, according to teh Axios report, recommended using Microsoft Teams, Signal, Wickr, iMessage, and FaceTime as approved alternatives for secure communication.
The decision was communicated on Monday through an internal email from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the report said.
The Office of Cybersecurity has classified WhatsApp as a “high-risk” application due to the lack of transparency in how user data is protected, the absence of encrypted data storage, and overall potential security vulnerabilities.
"House staff are NOT allowed to download or keep the WhatsApp application on any House device, including any mobile, desktop, or web browser versions of its products," the memo stated as quoted by the media report.
It also warned that staffers with the app on their devices would be contacted for immediate removal.
Staffers have also been instructed to use only the paid version of ChatGPT, ChatGPT Plus, due to AI-related data risks.
The move aligns with broader efforts in Congress to tighten digital security. In recent years, the CAO has placed similar restrictions on other technologies, including ByteDance apps, DeepSeek, and Microsoft Copilot.
The CAO, according to teh Axios report, recommended using Microsoft Teams, Signal, Wickr, iMessage, and FaceTime as approved alternatives for secure communication.
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