Meta Can Read WhatsApp Messages Despite End-to-End Encryption; Company Rejects Such Claims as ‘Frivolous Work of Fiction’

Mumbai, January 30: Meta is facing a significant legal challenge after a group of plaintiffs from five countries filed a class-action lawsuit in a US federal court, alleging that the company misleads users regarding the privacy of WhatsApp messages. The complaint argues that despite marketing the platform as end-to-end encrypted, Meta retains the ability to store, analyse, and access user communications. Meta has categorically denied the allegations, maintaining that its encryption protocols remain uncompromised and private by default.

The lawsuit brings together plaintiffs from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa. They contend that Meta’s public descriptions of WhatsApp’s security create a false impression that message content is entirely inaccessible to the company. The legal filing reportedly relies on statements from unnamed whistleblowers who describe the existence of internal systems designed to undermine the platform's security features. WhatsApp New Feature Update: Meta-Owned Messaging Platform Rolls Out ‘Voice Message Recording’ Feature for iOS Beta Users; Here’s What It Brings.

Meta WhatsApp Lawsuit

Central to the dispute is the definition and application of end-to-end encryption. Under this standard, messages are supposed to be encrypted on the sender’s device and only decrypted on the recipient’s device. If functioning as advertised, the service provider—in this case, Meta—should have no technical means to view the content of the messages being sent across its servers.

The plaintiffs do not claim that the Signal protocol, which WhatsApp uses for its encryption, is fundamentally broken. Instead, they allege that Meta has implemented workarounds or secondary systems that allow for data collection despite the encryption. The lawsuit seeks to represent millions of global users who rely on the app's privacy promises for personal and professional communication.

WhatsApp Signal Protocol

Meta has responded with a firm rebuttal, describing the legal action as a "frivolous work of fiction." Company spokesperson Andy Stone stated that any claim suggesting WhatsApp messages are not encrypted is "categorically false and absurd." The company reiterated that it has utilised the Signal protocol for a decade and that the content of messages remains shielded from the company itself.

While end-to-end encryption protects the actual text and media within a chat, it does not typically cover "metadata," such as who a user messaged and at what time. However, this lawsuit specifically targets the privacy of the message content itself. The case is currently in its preliminary stages, where a judge will determine if the claims have enough merit to proceed or if the case should be dismissed.

Global Privacy Concerns

This legal battle arrives at a time of heightened scrutiny over how "Big Tech" handles user data across international borders. With over two billion users worldwide, any ruling that questions the integrity of WhatsApp's encryption could have far-reaching implications for digital privacy standards. OpenAI Developing Biometric-Based Social Network To Combat Bot Proliferation; Sam Altman’s Firm Eyes ‘Real-Humans-Only’ Platform.

For now, security experts advise that WhatsApp remains encrypted by default. The burden of proof remains with the plaintiffs to provide evidence of the "internal systems" mentioned in their filing. If the court certifies the case as a class action, it could lead to an extensive discovery process, potentially forcing Meta to disclose more about the inner workings of its messaging infrastructure.