Meta-owned WhatsApp is often seen as one of the most secure messaging apps in the world, mainly because it promotes end-to-end encryption. But a fresh lawsuit filed against Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has once again raised a big question — Are your WhatsApp chats actually private or is Meta still able to access them in some way?
According to a Bloomberg report, WhatsApp users may not be getting the level of privacy they believe they are. The new lawsuit claims Meta and WhatsApp store, analyse, and can access a large part of user communications, despite the platform being marketed as a private messaging service.
This is a serious accusation because WhatsApp’s entire reputation is built around the idea that messages stay between the sender and the receiver.
Interestingly, this is not a small or local issue. The lawsuit reportedly includes users from multiple countries, including India, along with Australia, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. This means the case could become a major global privacy matter if the court takes it forward.
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The complaint also points to a whistleblower account, suggesting that internal information or people aware of Meta’s operations may have helped shape these claims. However, the filing does not clearly explain the full details of the whistleblower’s role and this is something that could become clearer as the legal process moves ahead.
Meta, on the other hand, has strongly denied the allegations.
A company spokesperson has reportedly called the lawsuit ‘frivolous’ and said Meta plans to fight it hard in court.
The spokesperson Andy Stone also rejected the claims, saying WhatsApp has been using end-to-end encryption with the Signal protocol for around a decade. He reportedly called the accusation that WhatsApp chats are not encrypted categorically false.
Now, what does this mean for everyday WhatsApp users in India? For now, there’s no need to panic. WhatsApp still remains encrypted by default and the lawsuit is only a claim at this stage.
But cases like this remind users of one key fact — privacy is not just about encryption. Things like backups, device security, screenshots, forwarded messages and even metadata can still create privacy risks.
The lawsuit is reportedly being pushed as a class-action case, meaning more WhatsApp users could potentially be included later if the court allows it.
If that happens, Meta may face even more legal pressure, especially at a time when governments worldwide are already tightening rules around user data and privacy.
For now, this lawsuit is worth watching closely because it could once again put WhatsApp’s privacy promises under the spotlight.
