Telegram founder Pavel Durov on Saturday called WhatsApp’s encryption “a giant fraud” and accused it of misleading users about how secure their messages really are.
In a post shared on X, Durov claimed that WhatsApp employees have access to “virtually all” private messages and cited a lawsuit filed in Texas against Meta-owned WhatsApp over alleged privacy misrepresentation.
He also referenced past claims that Meta had faced scrutiny over how user communications are handled despite end-to-end encryption being marketed as a core feature.
Responding to comments, Durov said Telegram “has never disclosed a single byte of private messages to third parties,” while adding that he is currently under investigation in France on multiple charges that could carry up to 10 years in prison.
The comments quickly spread across tech and political circles.
WhatsApp has previously maintained that its end-to-end encryption ensures only senders and recipients can read messages, rejecting claims of third-party access to private chats.
You don’t say. Color me surprised