tech
April 14, 2026
Durov accuses WhatsApp of misleading encryption claims, citing backup risks
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has accused WhatsApp of misleading users on encryption, warning that most messages may be exposed through cloud backups
TL;DR
- Pavel Durov claims WhatsApp's 'end-to-end encryption by default' is a consumer fraud.
- Durov alleges that most WhatsApp messages are stored in plain-text cloud backups on Apple and Google servers.
- He claims Apple and Google provide WhatsApp backup data to third parties thousands of times per year.
- Telegram's 'Secret Chats' feature offers end-to-end encryption, while regular messages are cloud-stored.
- Security researchers note that WhatsApp's optional cloud backups can undermine encryption protections.
- Meta maintains its messages are end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to the company, offering optional encrypted backups.
- A class-action lawsuit against Meta accuses the company of false privacy claims regarding WhatsApp.
- Durov has previously called WhatsApp a 'tool of surveillance' and warned of potential backdoors.
- Meta spokesperson Andy Stone called Durov's allegations 'categorically false and absurd'.
Continue reading the original article