Meta Sued Globally Over WhatsApp Encryption Claims

* Plaintiffs allege Meta deceived billions about WhatsApp's encryption. * Meta dismisses the allegations, labeling the lawsuit "frivolous." Meta faces a significant international lawsuit over its WhatsApp privacy practices. Plaintiffs accuse the company of falsely advertising end-to-end encryption while secretly accessing and analyzing user messages. Plaintiffs from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa filed the lawsuit in the United States on January 25, 2026, alleging Meta misled billions of users about the app's data privacy standards. According to Reuters on January 25, Meta rebutted these allegations, with a company spokesperson dismissing the lawsuit as a "frivolous work of fiction." The company emphasized that WhatsApp has used the Signal protocol for end-to-end encryption for over a decade. In addition, Meta announced plans to seek sanctions against the legal representatives behind the filing. The lawsuit highlights the growing global scrutiny of WhatsApp’s data privacy practices and intensifies the broader debate about user trust versus corporate transparency. While Meta continues to assert its adherence to privacy policies and encryption protocols, the case could have far-reaching implications for the company if the allegations are proven.