A US agency has closed an investigation into allegations that Meta can access encrypted WhatsApp messages, ending a law enforcement inquiry that challenged the company's privacy marketing claims.
The abrupt closure marks the end of a federal probe examining whether Meta Platforms Inc. has the technical ability to decrypt WhatsApp conversations despite the service's end-to-end encryption.
Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed the investigation's termination, though neither disclosed reasons for the decision. The inquiry had focused on Meta's public assertions about WhatsApp's privacy protections and whether those claims aligned with the company's actual capabilities.
WhatsApp has long marketed itself as a secure messaging platform with end-to-end encryption, meaning only senders and recipients can read messages. The investigation questioned whether this marketing accurately reflected the service's technical architecture.
Meta owns WhatsApp, which serves over 2 billion users globally. The company has previously defended its encryption implementation, stating that law enforcement cannot access messages even with legal orders.
The investigation's closure comes amid broader regulatory scrutiny of Meta's privacy practices and data handling policies. The outcome provides no public determination regarding the validity of the original claims.
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