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Texas Files Lawsuit Against Meta, WhatsApp Over Alleged Encryption Claims
The Texas Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc and WhatsApp, accusing them of misleading users about the strength and scope of WhatsApp’s encryption protections. The company has rejected the allegations.
The suit, filed in a Harrison County court, claims that Meta and WhatsApp misrepresented the level of privacy on the messaging platform, suggesting users’ communications are fully protected even though the company allegedly retains access to “virtually all” private messages.
According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, WhatsApp promotes itself as a secure, end-to-end encrypted service, but in practice does not live up to those assurances.
A spokesperson for Meta, Andy Stone, dismissed the claims on social media, insisting that WhatsApp cannot access users’ encrypted conversations and that the lawsuit is based on false assertions.
The state is seeking a court order that would prevent Meta and WhatsApp from accessing Texans’ WhatsApp messages without user consent, along with financial penalties.
The filing references media reports about a federal inquiry into claims involving Meta’s handling of WhatsApp data, as well as a whistleblower complaint submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
The case was brought under Texas’ Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a consumer protection law frequently used by the state in tech-related privacy cases.
In recent years, Google has also faced similar legal action in Texas, later agreeing to a $1.375 billion settlement in 2025 over alleged data privacy violations.
Separately, the office of Ken Paxton previously sued Netflix, accusing it of improperly collecting user data and designing its platform to encourage excessive use. Netflix denied those allegations, saying the claims were inaccurate and misleading.
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