Meta sued in the US over WhatsApp privacy claims
An international group of plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. in the US, alleging that WhatsApp is not as private as the company claims. The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court in San Francisco on October 5, 2023, focusing on the issue of end-to-end encryption.
The plaintiffs accuse Meta of false statements that only the sender and recipient can read messages due to end-to-end encryption. Instead, the lawsuit claims that Meta has access to users' "private" data and can analyze messages, potentially monitoring or altering the information.
WhatsApp, owned by Meta, markets end-to-end encryption as the key security and privacy feature for billions of users worldwide. However, this lawsuit challenges those claims and threatens the company's reputation.
Meta Platforms, Inc., founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and originally known as Facebook, is a leading player in social media and digital communications, owning platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
This court case could significantly impact Meta's privacy policies and encourage stricter regulation of tech companies regarding personal data protection.
In the near future, further legal proceedings and possible changes in Meta's approach to user data security are expected.
