Last updated:
Whatsapp Ban in America: US Congress has banned the use of WhatsApp on government devices, this decision has been taken due to data security concerns. Meta has expressed displeasure over this decision. Ira before America …Read more
Highlights
- The US Congress banned WhatsApp on government devices.
- This decision was taken due to data security concerns.
- Meta platforms have expressed strong displeasure over this decision.
New Delhi. Instant messaging platform Whatsapp has received a huge setback, that too in its domestic market i.e. US. The United States Congress’s lower house American House has banned the use of WhatsApp on government devices. According to reports, this decision has been taken due to concerns about data security and cyber security. As the first Exios also reported and Reuters have also confirmed this.
Notifications have been issued to all government staff. They have been instructed that whatsapp has been ordered to uninstall from their laptops and smartphones and all the devices. Even instructions have been issued to uninstall WhatsApp on the personal devices of the staff. CAO informed the staff about these changes through a mail.
They will be used in place of Whatsapp
Instead of WhatsApp, government staff is now recommended to use more safe messaging platforms like signal, Microsoft teams, Vikra, Apple’s iMasage and facetime. Employees have also been asked to be cautious from the message received from fishing scams and unknown numbers.
WhatsApp’s parent company, meta platforms, expressed strong disagreement with the move. In a statement to Exios, the company spokesman Andy Stone said, “We are completely disagree with the decision of the Chief Administrative Officer of the House.” Stone defended the encryption facility of the app, saying, “Message default on WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, which means that only receiver and sender can see them and even WhatsApp cannot see them. Will give
WhatsApp was banned in Iran too
Earlier this month, amidst the ongoing struggle with Israel, Iran has also instructed its citizens to remove WhatsApp from their phones as many officials of the country suspected that some sensitive data such as mobile apps, including WhatsApp, are leaking through. This platform is used on a large scale for both personal use and professional communication in Iran.
