Earlier this year, a federal investigation into whether Meta's WhatsApp had access to encrypted messages was abruptly ended, according to two people familiar with the matter. The closure cut short an investigation that had raised technical questions about how the service handles user data behind the scenes.
The case, led by a special agent in the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, was investigating allegations that some Meta employees and contractors could access WhatsApp messages despite the app's use of end-to-end encryption.
After about 10 months of document collection and interviews, the agent sent an email on Jan. 16 to more than a dozen federal officials outlining his preliminary findings. According to files seen by Bloomberg and confirmed by recipients, the agent said Meta’s systems allow access to message content in ways that contradict WhatsApp’s public description.
The federal agent said in the email that “Meta can indeed view and store all text messages, photos, audio recordings, and videos” in unencrypted form.
The email further described a “tiered permissions system” in place since at least 2019, to give access to WhatsApp content to employees, contractors, and a “significant number of outsiders.”
The agent also said that this behavior could involve “civil and criminal violations spanning multiple federal jurisdictions,” although he did not specify which laws may have been violated.
Shortly after the email was released, the Bureau of Industry and Security shut down the investigation. Two people familiar with the decision described the shutdown as sudden, and one of them said it was ordered by senior management. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security declined to provide details.
Meta stated that WhatsApp cannot access encrypted messages.
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
