WhatsApp came under criticism after Pavel Durov publicly questioned the platform’s privacy and encryption practices, calling its security claims misleading.
In a post shared on X, the Telegram founder described WhatsApp’s encryption system as “a giant fraud” and alleged that users may not fully understand how secure their private messages actually are.
Durov claimed that WhatsApp employees could allegedly access “virtually all” private conversations on the platform. While making these remarks, he also referred to a lawsuit filed in Texas against Meta-owned WhatsApp, which reportedly involves accusations related to privacy misrepresentation.
The Telegram founder further mentioned previous criticism and scrutiny faced by Meta regarding the handling of user communications, despite promoting end-to-end encryption as one of WhatsApp’s main privacy features.
His comments quickly attracted attention across technology and political circles, sparking fresh online debate about digital privacy, encryption, and the security of messaging applications.
While responding to users online, Pavel Durov defended Telegram’s privacy practices and stated that the platform has “never disclosed a single byte of private messages to third parties.”
At the same time, Durov also mentioned that he is currently facing investigations in France involving multiple charges that could reportedly result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Despite the allegations, WhatsApp has consistently maintained that its end-to-end encryption system protects user privacy by ensuring that only the sender and recipient can read personal messages.
The company has repeatedly rejected accusations suggesting that third parties, including employees, can directly access private chats shared on the platform.
The latest exchange between the Telegram founder and WhatsApp has once again raised discussions about trust, transparency, and user privacy among major social media and messaging companies.
Privacy and encryption remain highly sensitive topics globally as millions of people rely on messaging apps daily for personal, professional, and confidential communication.
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