US authorities have investigated allegations that Meta Platforms staff may have accessed WhatsApp user messages, despite the company’s repeated assurances that chats are end-to-end encrypted and private.
According to documents and interviews reviewed by Bloomberg News, the claims were examined by special agents from the US Department of Commerce. Former Meta contractors alleged that both they and some internal Meta personnel had what they described as “unfettered” access to WhatsApp messages.
The allegations were also raised in a whistleblower complaint filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in 2024. Individuals familiar with the matter said the complaint echoed concerns that WhatsApp’s privacy protections may not fully align with how the service operates internally.
Meta has long stated that WhatsApp messages are protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning only senders and recipients can read them. The company has not publicly commented on the investigation.
While no wrongdoing has been confirmed, the probe raises fresh questions about data privacy and transparency at one of the world’s largest messaging platforms.
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