The U.S. 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 said in an email obtained by Axios.
“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 email added: “If you have a WhatsApp application on your House-managed device, you will be contacted to remove it.”
Instead, staffers are urged to use Apple’s Messages, FaceTime, Microsoft Teams, Wickr, and Signal, notes Axios.
