A U.S. agency abruptly closed an investigation into allegations that Meta Platforms Inc. can access encrypted WhatsApp messages, said two people familiar with the matter, ending a law enforcement inquiry into claims that challenge how the company markets the chat service’s privacy.
The probe was shut down soon after a Commerce Department investigator contacted other federal officials early this year to share his conclusions “thus far” and try to coordinate ongoing investigative work. Sources spoke on condition that they and the agent not be identified because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter and were concerned about retaliation.
Through much of 2025, the special agent had been looking into claims that some Meta employees and contractors could see the content of encrypted WhatsApp messages. Meta has vehemently denied those allegations and said it’s impossible for its workers to read messages because of how the WhatsApp platform is built.
