Elon Musk and Telegram founder Pavel Durov have jumped into the spotlight after Meta was sued in the US over claims that WhatsApp misled users about message privacy. Durov called WhatsApp “unsafe” and said believing in its security in 2026 is “braindead.” Musk went a step further, saying even Signal is doubtful and urging people to use X Chat.
Their sharp comments came after a lawsuit accused Meta of secretly storing and analysing WhatsApp messages despite promising full end-to-end encryption.
WhatsApp Privacy Lawsuit: What The Case Claims
The lawsuit was filed in a US District Court in San Francisco and was first reported by Bloomberg. It has been brought by an international group of users from India, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and South Africa.
The case claims that Meta falsely tells users that WhatsApp messages are fully private and can only be read by the sender and receiver. According to the plaintiffs, Meta actually stores and analyses parts of user communication and can access the substance of messages.
The lawsuit is based on information from unnamed whistleblowers who allegedly worked closely with Meta’s systems. They argue that WhatsApp’s promise of “only you can read your messages” is misleading and gives users a false sense of safety.
This report triggered strong reactions from tech leaders. Durov said Telegram had studied WhatsApp’s encryption and found “multiple attack vectors.”
You’d have to be braindead to believe WhatsApp is secure in 2026. When we analyzed how WhatsApp implemented its “encryption”, we found multiple attack vectors. https://t.co/BC1TWFAIlc
— Pavel Durov (@durov) January 26, 2026
Musk echoed the criticism and posted, “WhatsApp is not secure. Even Signal is questionable.”
WhatsApp Privacy Lawsuit: Meta’s Response & Reactions
Meta has completely rejected the allegations. A company spokesperson called the lawsuit “frivolous” and said the claims are “categorically false and absurd.” Meta stated that WhatsApp has used end-to-end encryption for nearly ten years.
WhatsApp is not secure. Even Signal is questionable.
Use 𝕏 Chat. https://t.co/MWXCOmkbTD
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2026
WhatsApp head Will Cathcart also replied directly to Musk. He said WhatsApp cannot read messages because encryption keys stay on users’ phones. “We don’t have access to them,” he wrote.
Cathcart also pointed out that the same law firm behind this case previously defended NSO Group, whose spyware was used against journalists and officials. He called the lawsuit “headline-seeking” and without merit.
For now, the case is just beginning. But the public debate it has sparked is already making users question how private their chats really are.
