Meta Faces Lawsuit Over WhatsApp Encryption: Elon Musk, Pavel Durov React

Stev April 11, 2026
WhatsApp’s parent firm, Meta, has firmly rejected the accusations.
The plaintiffs argue that Meta Platforms and WhatsApp have breached privacy laws by allowing third-party contractors to access user messages on the platform between April 5, 2016 and the present. (Image generated by AI)

WhatsApp is once again in the midst of a new storm, wherein a class action lawsuit alleges the world’s most popular messenger service misleading its consumers about end-to-end encryption. The allegations state that WhatsApp’s backend allows the company and its contractors to reach encrypted messages, thus breaching user privacy.

As the news breaks out, Elon Musk and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov have launched pointed attacks on WhatsApp’s privacy claims, stating that users cannot trust the Meta-owned platform with their private conversations. The statements, reposted widely on X, seem to have added fuel to the controversy.


WhatsApp’s class action lawsuit: What’s got Meta into trouble this time?

The class action lawsuit, filed by plaintiffs Brian Y. Shirazi and Nida Samson against Meta, alleges that WhatsApp, Meta Platforms, Accenture PLC and Accenture LLP allegedly intercepted and shared private WhatsApp messages along with third parties.

“Whistleblowers have informed federal investigators that Meta employees and third-party contractors had ‘broad access to the substance of WhatsApp messages that were supposed to be encrypted and inaccessible,” the class action lawsuit states.

“WhatsApp’s secret interception, reading, storing, accessing and/or viewing of the messages it ensured plaintiffs and similarly situated class members were private, including without adequate disclosure to plaintiffs and class members, constitutes a serious invasion of plaintiffs’ and class members’ privacy,” the WhatsApp class action lawsuit says.

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The plaintiffs argue that Meta Platforms and WhatsApp have breached privacy laws by allowing third-party contractors to access user messages on the platform between April 5, 2016 and the present. The companies are claimed to be guilty of violating the California privacy laws, fraud and data laws, false advertising law, unfair competition, the Pennsylvania Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act, and the common law of intrusion upon seclusion.

Shirazi and Samson have requested that Meta and WhatsApp be put through a jury trial, given a declaratory and injunctive relief and cover the plaintiff’s as well as class members’ damages as well.


Telegram’s Pavel Durov joined in on accusations

The Telegram founder posted the filings on X, claiming, “WhatsApp’s encryption may be the biggest consumer fraud in history — deceiving billions of users. Despite its claims, it reads users’ messages and shares them with third parties. Telegram has never done this — and never will.” Durov’s words framed WhatsApp’s security promises as fundamentally misleading, suggesting systemic vulnerabilities that allow Meta to access content despite end-to-end encryption assertions.


Durov’s followers too rallied behind the statement, flooding X with supportive replies and reposts. Many praised Telegram’s no-compromise approach to privacy and viewed Durov’s intervention as a timely warning for the billions relying on WhatsApp daily. Some praised Telegram’s features, such as secret chats and self-destructing messages, preferring them over WhatsApp’s practices, further fueling migration concerns.

Elon Musk’s warning on WhatsApp privacy

Elon Musk kicked off the debate by reacting to reports alleging that WhatsApp accesses private messages without explicit user consent. In his post, Musk declared, “Can’t trust WhatsApp.” He went further by promoting his platform’s alternative, urging users to switch to X Chat. “X Chat comes with this great benefit of actual privacy,” Musk stressed, positioning it as a more secure alternative in an era of heightened data sensitivity.


Musk’s comments, however, were echoed by his followers. Thousands of users echoed his concerns, sharing personal anecdotes about suspected data sharing and praising the move toward decentralised or alternative platforms.

Supporters highlighted Musk’s track record of championing free speech and privacy, with many threads amplifying calls to abandon WhatsApp in favour of X or other services perceived as less intrusive.
What has Meta said so far

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WhatsApp’s parent firm, Meta, has firmly rejected the accusations. In its response, the company stated, “The claims in this lawsuit are categorically false and absurd. WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade so your messages cannot be read by anyone other than the sender and recipient.” Spokesperson statements highlighted that encryption keys remain on users’ devices, thus making unauthorised access by the company or anybody else impossible.

The outcomes of the lawsuit against Meta could be catastrophic if it is found guilty. Meta could be fined billions by various authorities around the world, and the company could be forced to make changes to the messenger app.
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