Overview
- Tech leaders Elon Musk and Pavel Durov criticized WhatsApp’s privacy promises after a new U.S. class-action complaint alleged the app let staff and contractors access private chats.
- WhatsApp’s owner, Meta, called the claims “categorically false and absurd” and said messages use the Signal protocol, which is designed so only the sender and the recipient can read them.
- The complaint names Meta, WhatsApp, and Accenture and seeks to represent users dating back to April 5, 2016, alleging messages were intercepted, shared, and stored without consent.
- Musk urged people to try X Chat for calls and messaging, while Durov labeled WhatsApp’s encryption “the biggest consumer fraud,” accusations that increase public pressure but do not add evidence to the case record.
- Plaintiffs seek a jury trial, injunctive relief, and damages under contract, fraud, false advertising, and California privacy laws, and the case remains at an early stage with no court rulings yet.