Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Brands WhatsApp Security Belief as 'Braindead'
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has launched a scathing attack on WhatsApp's security claims, stating that an individual would have to be "braindead to believe WhatsApp is secure". The Russian billionaire's provocative comments emerge concurrently with a significant class-action lawsuit filed against Meta-owned WhatsApp in San Francisco, which accuses the messaging platform of accessing users' private messages, thereby contradicting its public promises of robust end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
Durov's Social Media Post Highlights Alleged Encryption Flaws
In a detailed post on X, previously known as Twitter, Pavel Durov elaborated on his criticism, specifically targeting WhatsApp's security posture projected into the future. "You'd have to be braindead to believe WhatsApp is secure in 2026," Durov wrote. He further asserted that Telegram's internal technical analysis of WhatsApp's encryption implementation uncovered multiple unspecified "attack vectors" that could potentially compromise user privacy. Notably, while Durov cited these findings, no public documentation or evidence detailing these vulnerabilities has been released to substantiate the claims. This stands in contrast to WhatsApp's Signal Protocol, which has undergone independent security audits and is widely recognized for providing default end-to-end encryption, a standard that ensures only the sender and intended recipient can read messages.
Class-Action Lawsuit Challenges Meta's E2EE Marketing Claims
As reported by Bloomberg, an international coalition of plaintiffs has initiated a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. This legal action directly challenges Meta's marketing of WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption feature. The company has consistently promoted E2EE as a security standard that protects messages on the app, guaranteeing that only the communicating users can access the content.
The lawsuit presents serious allegations, claiming that Meta's privacy assurances are fundamentally false. It accuses WhatsApp of having the capability to "store, analyze, and can access virtually all of WhatsApp users' purportedly 'private' communications". The plaintiffs represent a diverse group of users from several countries, including:
- India
- Brazil
- Australia
- Mexico
- South Africa
Furthermore, the legal filing alleges that Meta retains the technical ability to decrypt and review the substance of messages for purposes such as data analysis and internal monitoring, which would directly violate the principles of true end-to-end encryption.
Meta's Strong Rebuttal and Legal Countermeasures
In response to these allegations, Meta has issued a firm and unequivocal denial. Company spokesperson Andy Stone labeled the lawsuit's claims as "frivolous" and "absurd" in an emailed statement to Bloomberg. Stone confirmed that Meta intends to pursue legal sanctions against the plaintiffs' counsel for bringing forward what the company considers a baseless case.
"Any claim that people's WhatsApp messages are not encrypted is categorically false. WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade. This lawsuit is a frivolous work of fiction," Stone stated emphatically. This defense underscores Meta's commitment to its encryption standards and signals a vigorous legal battle ahead as the company seeks to protect its reputation and technological integrity.
The convergence of Pavel Durov's public criticism and the ongoing class-action lawsuit highlights a growing scrutiny over digital privacy and encryption practices in major messaging platforms. As users globally become increasingly concerned about data security, this controversy underscores the critical importance of transparent encryption implementations and trustworthy privacy assurances in the technology sector.
