New Delhi, September 9: Meta is reportedly facing a new legal challenge after a former WhatsApp executive filed a lawsuit claiming security issues in the messaging app. The executive alleged that the messaging app suffered from “systemic cybersecurity failures” that could compromise user privacy. He claimed that the company repeatedly broke cybersecurity regulations and "retaliated" against him for reporting the issues. The lawsuit was reportedly filed by Attaullah Baig, who previously served as WhatsApp’s head of security.

As per a report of The Guardian, the lawsuit filed in a US federal court in San Francisco claims that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, neglected to put essential cybersecurity protections, like handling proper data management and systems to detect breaches. As per reports, Attaullah Baig, who worked as WhatsApp’s head of security between 2021 and 2025, alleged that nearly 1,500 engineers were given unrestricted access to user data. Perplexity Faces Lawsuit by Japanese Media Groups Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun for Allegedly Copying and Storing Content Without Permission.

Before moving to Meta, Baig worked in cybersecurity positions at PayPal, Capital One, and several other leading financial firms. He further claimed that this lack of oversight potentially violates a US government order that had earlier fined the company USD 5 billion in 2020. Baig reportedly discovered through internal security testing that WhatsApp engineers could “access, move, or even steal user data," which included contact details, IP addresses, and profile photos, "without leaving any detection or audit trail.”

The filing reportedly stated that Baig raised concerns multiple times with senior leaders, including WhatsApp head Will Cathcart and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He allegedly warned that the company was not addressing the hacking and takeover of over 100,000 accounts daily, claiming his recommendations were ignored as the focus remained on user growth. Apple Files Lawsuit Against Former Employee for Allegedly Stealing Apple Watch Secrets for OPPO.

In response to the allegations, WhatsApp’s vice president of communications Carl Woog reportedly said, "Sadly this is a familiar playbook in which a former employee is dismissed for poor performance and then goes public with distorted claims that misrepresent the ongoing hard work of our team."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 09, 2025 12:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).