Paxton sues Meta, WhatsApp over alleged privacy violations

AUSTIN (KVIA) -- Thursday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a suit against Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp. Paxton alleged the company misled consumers about privacy protections on the messaging app.

WhatsApp is marketed as a "secure" messaging service by using end-to-end encryption. The encryption lets the sender and recipient access messages, but the platform itself can't.

Attorney General Paxton alleges the security claims are inaccurate. He said reports imply WhatsApp employees have been able to access messages.

“Texans deserve to know whether their private communications are indeed truly private,” said Attorney General Paxton in a statement. “WhatsApp markets its services as secure and encrypted, but it does not deliver on those promises. I am suing to protect Texans’ privacy and ensure that WhatsApp by Meta does not mislead Texans by unlawfully accessing private conversations and data.” 

Paxton filed several lawsuits over privacy concerns, including against Netflix. He recently made a settlement with LG.

Attorney General Paxton is currently challenging Senator John Coryn in the high stake Republican runoff for the 2026 U.S. Senate.