Dominic Williams, founder of Dfinity, has drawn attention to privacy concerns at WhatsApp after a former Meta employee filed a lawsuit alleging systemic security flaws. Williams tweeted that 1,500 Meta engineers had unrestricted access to WhatsApp messages, including private photos, and argued that this highlights the urgent need for foolproof decentralised encryption, such as the vetKeys system used on the Internet Computer.
The remarks came in response to a lawsuit filed by Attaullah Baig, WhatsApp’s former head of security, who claims he faced retaliation after raising cybersecurity issues with Meta’s leadership, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Baig alleges that during his time at the company he discovered security gaps that violated federal laws and breached obligations from a 2020 Federal Trade Commission privacy settlement.
According to the lawsuit, approximately 1,500 WhatsApp engineers could move or access sensitive user data without leaving an audit trail, creating a potential regulatory and privacy risk. Baig said he reported these risks multiple times, only to face negative performance feedback shortly afterwards. He later escalated his concerns to the Securities and Exchange Commission and directly to Zuckerberg, but claims the issues were not addressed.
Meta has denied the allegations, stating that Baig’s role and ranking were overstated and calling his claims distorted. The company maintains that its privacy record is strong and that it has a dedicated team working on security. Baig later filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding alleged retaliation, which Meta says was dismissed. He was ultimately let go in February during a broader round of layoffs.
Williams’ comments have sparked renewed discussion about the value of decentralised encryption and the need to minimise centralised control over sensitive data. By highlighting these concerns, Williams frames the lawsuit as an example of broader challenges in safeguarding digital communications in large tech companies.
For Williams, decentralised solutions like the Internet Computer’s vetKeys could provide a safeguard against unrestricted internal access to personal data, offering users a more secure and auditable way to protect private information. The ex-Meta case underscores ongoing tensions between corporate security practices, regulatory compliance, and employee whistleblowers, while emphasising the potential of decentralised systems to strengthen privacy protections.
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