Texas Sues Meta Over WhatsApp Encryption Claims

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its messaging service WhatsApp, accusing the companies of misleading consumers about WhatsApp’s encryption and privacy protections. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Harrison County court, claims WhatsApp falsely advertises its messaging platform as fully secure and encrypted while allegedly allowing Meta access to users’ private communications.

According to the complaint, WhatsApp and Meta assured users that messages sent through the platform were protected by end-to-end encryption. However, Texas officials argue the companies had access to “virtually all” communications exchanged on the app, contradicting their public privacy promises. Paxton stated that WhatsApp promoted itself as a secure messaging service but failed to provide the level of protection consumers expected.

Meta strongly rejected the allegations. Company spokesman Andy Stone said the claims made in the lawsuit are inaccurate and insisted that WhatsApp cannot read or access users’ encrypted messages. Meta maintains that WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption technology protects private conversations from unauthorized access, including by the company itself.

The lawsuit seeks financial penalties and a court order preventing Meta and WhatsApp from accessing Texans’ messages without user consent. Texas officials cited media reports about a federal investigation into WhatsApp’s handling of encrypted data, along with allegations raised in a whistleblower complaint submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The case was filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a key consumer protection law used by the state in several high-profile privacy lawsuits. Paxton’s office has recently targeted major technology companies over alleged misuse of consumer data. In May 2025, Google agreed to pay $1.375 billion to settle privacy-related claims brought by Texas. Earlier this month, Paxton also sued Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of unlawfully collecting consumer data and designing addictive platform features. Netflix denied those accusations, calling the claims misleading and inaccurate.