Meta Platforms, Inc. is facing a fresh lawsuit in the United States alleging that WhatsApp messages are not as private as the company claims. An international group of users has accused Meta of misleading billions of people by falsely stating that WhatsApp chats are fully protected by end-to-end encryption and inaccessible to the company.
The lawsuit was filed on Friday in a US District Court in San Francisco, according to a Bloomberg report. The plaintiffs claim that Meta and WhatsApp store, analyse, and can access users’ private communications, despite repeated assurances to the contrary.
Meta has strongly rejected the allegations, calling the case baseless and frivolous.
What WhatsApp Promises Users
End-to-end encryption has long been a cornerstone of WhatsApp’s privacy messaging. The company has consistently stated that messages can only be read by the sender and the recipient, and that not even WhatsApp or Meta can access the content.
Within the app, users are told that “only people in this chat can read, listen to, or share” messages. This notice appears by default at the start of conversations, reinforcing WhatsApp’s privacy claims.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The plaintiffs argue that these assurances do not reflect how the platform actually functions. According to the complaint, Meta and WhatsApp retain and analyse the substance of user communications, allowing company employees to access messages that are marketed as private.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta and its leadership misrepresented WhatsApp as a secure and private messaging service, thereby misleading users around the world.
The group of plaintiffs includes users from India, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa, highlighting the global scope of the case. The filing also cites unnamed “whistleblowers” who allegedly helped uncover these practices, though their identities and roles have not been disclosed.
Meta Rejects Allegations
Meta has categorically denied the claims and said it plans to vigorously contest the lawsuit.
“Any claim that people’s WhatsApp messages are not encrypted is categorically false and absurd,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement cited by Bloomberg. “WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade. This lawsuit is a frivolous work of fiction.”
The company added that it intends to seek sanctions against the plaintiffs’ legal counsel.
What Happens Next
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs have asked the court to certify the case as a class-action lawsuit, which could potentially include millions of WhatsApp users worldwide.
Several legal firms named in the filing, including Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Keller Postman, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Another attorney representing the plaintiffs declined to comment on Saturday.
The case is expected to draw close attention amid growing global scrutiny over data privacy, encryption, and Big Tech accountability.
