NewKerala.com

Musk, Durov Slam WhatsApp Privacy; Meta Calls Claims "Absurd"

Elon Musk and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov have publicly questioned WhatsApp's privacy practices, citing a new class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges WhatsApp intercepts and shares private user messages with third parties like Accenture, despite its encryption claims. Meta has forcefully rejected these accusations as "categorically false and absurd," defending its use of the Signal protocol. The public clash adds another layer to the long-standing rivalry between tech leaders Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Key Points: Elon Musk, Telegram CEO Accuse WhatsApp of Privacy Failures

  • New US lawsuit alleges WhatsApp shares messages
  • Musk urges switch to X for "actual privacy"
  • Meta defends its end-to-end encryption
  • Durov calls WhatsApp encryption a "fraud"
  • Rivalry between Musk and Zuckerberg intensifies
2 min read

Elon Musk, Telegram CEO say "can't trust" WhatsApp; Meta hits back at "absurd" claims

Elon Musk and Pavel Durov claim WhatsApp shares private messages, urging users to switch. Meta denies the "absurd" allegations from a new lawsuit.

"The claims in this lawsuit are categorically false and absurd. - Meta"

Texas, April 10

Owner of X, Elon Musk as well as CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov have questioned the privacy practices of popular messaging Meta-owned platform WhatsApp.

Musk on Thursday posted on X "can't trust WhatsApp."

The billionaire entrepreneur's response comes in the light of a new US class action lawsuit, which claims that the Meta-owned app intercepted private messages of users despite its claims of bulletproof end-to-end encryption and even shared them with third parties like Accenture.

In another post, Musk urged users to switch to X Chat for messaging and voice/video calls, saying it "comes with this great benefit of actual privacy."

Meta immediately hit back, rejecting these accusations and defending WhatsApp's encryption system.

"The claims in this lawsuit are categorically false and absurd. WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade so your messages cannot be read by anyone other than the sender and recipient.

Similarly, in a social media post, Durov said, "WhatsApp's "encryption" may be the biggest consumer fraud in history -- deceiving billions of users." Despite its claims, it reads users' messages and shares them with third parties."

Telegram, Durov said, "has never done this -- and never will."

The rivalry between the two tech moghuls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Meta) has been long-standing.

After Musk acquired Twitter (now X), Meta launched Threads in July 2023, directly aiming to challenge X.

In 2025, Musk launched a meme highlighting his AI chatbot, Grok, as superior to Meta AI.

In June 2023, Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cage fight. Zuckerberg, who trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, responded via Instagram, "Send me location."

The class action lawsuit against WhatsApp was filed in California federal court in January this year against Meta Platforms Inc., WhatsApp LLC, Accenture PLC and Accenture LLP.

The lawsuit claims that the defendants wrongfully intercepted and shared private WhatsApp messages with third parties.

The complaint alleges this occurs despite WhatsApp's marketing materials and in-app messages stating that "not even WhatsApp" can see personal messages.

The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and request declaratory and injunctive relief and an award of statutory, compensatory, exemplary and punitive damages for themselves and all class members.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Elon Musk saying "can't trust WhatsApp" is a bit rich coming from the owner of X, where DMs are definitely not private. This feels more like a business rivalry than genuine concern for users. Both platforms have their issues.
A
Aman W
In India, WhatsApp is like oxygen for communication. From school groups to office work, everything runs on it. If there's even a 1% chance they are reading messages, it's a massive breach of trust. Government should also look into this seriously.
P
Priya S
The cage fight was funny, but this is serious. Meta's defense sounds strong, but a class action lawsuit means there's some evidence, right? 🤔 We common users are stuck in the middle of these billionaire wars. Just give us a truly private app!
D
David E
As someone who works in tech, the Signal protocol is solid. The question isn't the encryption, it's what happens on the device before encryption or after decryption. That's where the alleged interception could happen. A very technical but crucial detail.
N
Nisha Z
Honestly, we've all known this deep down. It's a free app. How do you think they make money? "If you're not paying, you're the product." The real shock would be if a court actually holds them accountable and things change for the better.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50