Meta has lashed Elon Musk’s comments on the steaming controversy that involves a lawsuit over WhatsApp privacy claims. Elon Musk, who is helming xAI and X (formerly Twitter), has ignited fresh debate over privacy by declaring WhatsApp “not secure” and even casting doubt on Signal. In a viral post on X, the statement promotes X’s own chat feature as a safer alternative, just as a major lawsuit accuses Meta of misleading users about WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp’s Head, Will Cathcart, has lashed back at Musk, calling it “totally false”.
In his post, Musk responded to a report shared by a user about whistleblower allegations against Meta. Musk reposted the post on his timeline, stating, “WhatsApp is not secure. Even Signal is questionable. Use X Chat.” The post quotes a Bloomberg article that originally detailed a class-action lawsuit filed in a San Francisco US District Court by plaintiffs from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa. The report originally claimed that Meta “stores, analyses, and can access virtually all of WhatsApp users’ purportedly ‘private’ communications,” despite the app’s long-standing promise of unbreakable end-to-end encryption.
The lawsuit, which seeks class-action status, alleges deceptive marketing and potential violations of global privacy laws, citing whistleblower evidence. Meta has dismissed the claims as “frivolous,” with a spokesperson stating that end-to-end encryption ensures only senders and recipients can access message content.
WhatsApp Head responds to Musk’s post
In a response to Elon Musk, WhatsApp’s Head, Will Cathcart, denies the claims, calling the lawsuit a “no-merit, headline-seeking” attempt. “This is totally false. WhatsApp can’t read messages because the encryption keys are stored on your phone and we don’t have access to them. This is a no-merit, headline-seeking lawsuit brought by the very same firm defending NSO after their spyware attacked journalists and government officials,” states Cathcart.
Musk’s comments come amid his longstanding rivalry with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, which has included public jabs over data practices, AI development, and even a proposed cage fight in the past. Musk even questioned Signal – a privacy-focused app endorsed by whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, thus revealing how these companies handle data and privacy.
As a solution, Musk asks his followers to try X Chat for their messaging needs, highlighting features like encrypted DMs and no data mining for ads. X Chat is part of the platform’s evolution into an “everything app,” allowing end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice/video calls, and payments integration. Musk repeatedly promotes X’s commitment to free speech and privacy since acquiring the platform in 2022.
Is WhatsApp’s E2E encryption faulty?
WhatsApp maintains that the end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp ensures total privacy of user chats. Privacy experts note that while WhatsApp’s E2E encryption is robust in transit, user-enabled cloud backups (often unencrypted) and metadata sharing remain points of vulnerability — issues that are applicable to all encrypted messengers. Signal, on the other hand, maintains open-source code and minimal data collection, thereby challenging Musk’s claims.
While the lawsuit is underway, it remains to be seen how it could impact WhatsApp’s 2 billion+ users, especially in privacy-conscious markets like India. Meta is yet to respond to Musk’s allegations.
