It is alleged that the companies assured customers of full encryption of messages, but in fact had access to a large part of private correspondence in the messenger. Ken Paxton noted that WhatsApp is positioned as a secure and closed service, but does not fulfill the corresponding obligations, reports Reuters.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone on social media called the charges untrue. He stated that the company does not have the ability to read encrypted messages of users.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction that would prevent Meta and WhatsApp from accessing the messages of Texas residents without their consent. It also claims monetary penalties. The lawsuit is based on media publications about a federal investigation into Meta, as well as a user complaint to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
The proceedings were initiated under local consumer protection laws. The Texas Attorney General’s office has previously filed similar data privacy lawsuits against Google. In May 2025, the office secured a $1.375 billion payment to settle the claims.
