US has investigated claims WhatsApp chats aren’t private

Core Viewpoint - Allegations by former contractors claim that Meta personnel had access to WhatsApp messages, contradicting Meta's marketing of the app as private and encrypted [1][23][24] Group 1: Allegations and Investigation - The investigation is being conducted by the US Department of Commerce, focusing on claims that Meta staff had "unfettered" access to WhatsApp messages [1][23] - Content moderators, contracted through Accenture, reported that they and some Meta employees could access WhatsApp messages that were supposed to be encrypted [5][6] - The inquiry is referred to as "Operation Sourced Encryption" and is ongoing, with the last activity noted as recent as January [9][10] Group 2: Meta's Response - A Meta spokesperson stated that the claims are impossible, asserting that WhatsApp and its employees cannot access encrypted communications [2][5] - Meta's shares fell approximately 1% in extended trading following the news of the allegations [5] - The company has faced previous accusations regarding user privacy, including a $5 billion fine from the FTC, although these did not involve WhatsApp [12][24] Group 3: Technical Aspects and User Privacy - WhatsApp claims that it cannot access messages due to encryption keys residing on users' devices, which are not accessible to the company [24] - The app does allow limited access to message information in specific cases, such as when a user reports problematic messages [14][24] - Allegations suggest broader access than what WhatsApp officially acknowledges, with contractors claiming they could request access to communications [15][24] Group 4: Legal Context - A lawsuit filed in January 2023 alleges that Meta and WhatsApp can access users' private communications, citing whistleblower claims [18][24] - Meta has labeled the lawsuit as "frivolous" and intends to pursue sanctions against the plaintiffs' counsel [20][24] - The expansion of end-to-end encryption by Meta has drawn criticism from law enforcement, particularly regarding its implications for tracking criminal activities [21][24]