January 31, 2026
E2EE or E2Drama?
US reportedly investigate claims that Meta can read encrypted WhatsApp messages
Meta accused of peeking at WhatsApp; users shout “backups” and “global scandal”
TLDR: US officials reportedly probed claims Meta can read encrypted WhatsApp messages; Meta calls it absurd and a stunt. Commenters clashed over backups, client hacks, and global implications, arguing encryption isn’t magic and metadata matters—why it’s crucial: your privacy depends on more than a lock icon.
A lawsuit says Meta can read your “private” WhatsApp chats; Meta fired back calling it “categorically false” and hinting it’s a PR stunt to help spyware-maker NSO Group. US officials were said by Bloomberg to have looked into it, but a Commerce spokesperson called that “unsubstantiated.” A security professor told the Guardian he’d be shocked if it were true.
Meanwhile, the comments are ablaze. Strong take: basch claims you can just brute-force chat pins, pointing to Facebook Messenger’s 6‑digit lock. TZubiri counters: “Anyone can audit the client binaries,” implying if there were a secret, someone would find it. evanjrowley throws cold water on “encrypted” Android backups: who exactly can decrypt them?
The biggest fight: even if end‑to‑end encryption (messages readable only by sender and recipient) works, the app on your phone still has to show the text. Retr0id warns that device hacks can still spill your chats; encryption isn’t a force field. mattmaroon adds global spice: drop “in the USA.” The memes? “E2EE or E2Drama,” plus side‑eyes at WhatsApp’s metadata hoover. Bottom line: the crowd’s split between “this is impossible,” “check your backups,” and “trust no one”—while Meta demands sanctions against the law firm and WhatsApp points to its encryption.
Key Points
- •A lawsuit by Quinn Emanuel alleges Meta can read users’ encrypted WhatsApp messages; Meta calls the claim false and absurd.
- •Reports referenced from Bloomberg say U.S. authorities investigated whether Meta could access WhatsApp messages; the U.S. Department of Commerce called such assertions unsubstantiated.
- •Quinn Emanuel cites unnamed whistleblowers from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and South Africa as sources for the allegations.
- •Meta plans to seek sanctions against Quinn Emanuel, linking the suit to the firm’s role in NSO Group’s appeal of a $167m judgment won by WhatsApp.
- •An expert from UCL expressed skepticism about the claims; the article explains WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption and contrasts it with Telegram’s server-decryptable model.