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WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

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Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#51

Post by alephnerd »

esafak wrote: post #26
alephnerd wrote: post #11

This is due to the addition of Meta AI in WhatsApp [0]. Unsurprisingly, data egress to third parties is a major security vector - especially for mission critical jobs like working in the House. MS apps incorporating Copilot have faced similar blocks as well. This requirement for data stewardship is called out in HITPOL8 as well [1][2] (the AI tool standards set by the House CAO). [0] - https://faq.whatsapp.com/203220…

Source for reason?

The article as well as HITPOL8 [0][1]. WhatsApp has been blocked for the same reason Deepseek AI (the Deepseek app) is blocked - "Stewardship of Legislative Branch Data".

[0] - https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/4/2/42dca19e-194b-481e-b1...

[1] - https://cha.house.gov/_cache/files/0/8/08476380-95c3-4989-ad...

Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#52

Post by ElevenLathe »

gruez wrote: post #16
v5v3 wrote: post #12

Government: Zuck put a backdoor in WhatsApp or we will put you in a blacksite UFC ring and beat you up. Also Government: WhatsApp has a backdoor. Don't use it.

>Government: Zuck put a backdoor in WhatsApp or we will put you in a blacksite UFC ring and beat you up. Source? >Also Government: WhatsApp has a backdoor. Don't use it. If "zuck" is really in the pocket of the US government, why should they worry about their own backdoors?

House (legislative branch) staffers presumably don't want executive branch snoops reading their group chats. Doubly so for Democratic staffers not wanting specifically the Trump executive branch reading them.

Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#53

Post by godelski »

dietr1ch wrote: post #50
godelski wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also government: installed special version of Signal that includes a backdoor (logs) People: don't use Signal! It has a back door! Instead, use Telegram, it doesn't have encryption by default and is highly suspect of a foreign adversary Also people: "I'll just send copies of all my messages to the government because they have my data anyways"

[flagged]

[flagged]

Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#54

Post by 0x457 »

bix6 wrote: post #29
gruez wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Government: Zuck put a backdoor in WhatsApp or we will put you in a blacksite UFC ring and beat you up. Source? >Also Government: WhatsApp has a backdoor. Don't use it. If "zuck" is really in the pocket of the US government, why should they worry about their own backdoors?

Why would there be a source for a backdoor of a closed source application?

Sources to back up the claim, not source code of the application.

Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#56

Post by oceansky »

Marsymars wrote: post #41
theodric wrote: post #25

When I was at unnamed major financial institution, we were ordered to stop using WhatsApp, but it had nothing to do with security and everything to do with avoiding even the possibility of the appearance of backroom dealing or production avoidance in the event of subpoena. Maybe the truth has more to do with that, or maybe not, what do I know, who are all you people anyway, and why am I posting here?

WhatsApp also feels... tonally weird to use at a serious company, like in the same way it would feel weird to be using snapchat for team meetings.

WhatsApp is already the de facto communication channel in a lot of countries.

In Brazil even subpoenas can be sent via WhatsApp.

Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#57

Post by aaroninsf »

Serious question: who else takes for granted that Zuck gets a daily summary of all high-level federal governmental communications, as harvested via backdoors or simply from non-end-to-end encrypted traffic on any Meta property?

I assume he does. I assume moreover that most people aware of this at Meta consider this due diligence in defending shareholder value. What's that line from Dune 2, a wise hunter climbs the tallest hill? _You need to see._

Re: WhatsApp banned on House staffers' devices

#58

Post by steadfastbeef »

dietr1ch wrote: post #50
godelski wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also government: installed special version of Signal that includes a backdoor (logs) People: don't use Signal! It has a back door! Instead, use Telegram, it doesn't have encryption by default and is highly suspect of a foreign adversary Also people: "I'll just send copies of all my messages to the government because they have my data anyways"

[flagged]

Which is the fascist government?
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