Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms on May 21, accusing the company of deceiving consumers about the strength of WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. The suit, filed in Harrison County court, claims Meta can access “virtually all” user communications despite years of marketing that promised the opposite.
WhatsApp has more than 3 billion users globally. Since at least 2016, it has told those users that “not even WhatsApp can see” the content of their messages.
What the lawsuit actually claims
The case was brought under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, which targets companies that mislead consumers about their products or services. Paxton’s office alleges that Meta’s encryption claims amount to false advertising, arguing that the company retains the ability to read plaintext messages despite promising end-to-end protection.
Beyond injunctive relief, the suit seeks a court order to prevent unauthorized access to Texans’ communications. It also pursues monetary penalties against Meta, though specific dollar amounts have not been disclosed.
