"He says the company systematically violated cybersecurity regulations and retaliated against him for reporting the failures. Attaullah Baig, who served as head of security for WhatsApp from 2021 to 2025, claims that approximately 1,500 engineers had unrestricted access to user data without proper oversight, potentially violating a US government order that imposed a $5bn penalty on the company in 2020."
"The lawsuit, filed in US federal court in San Francisco, alleges Facebook-owner Meta failed to implement basic cybersecurity measures, including adequate data handling and breach detection capabilities. According to the 115-page complaint, Baig discovered through internal security testing that WhatsApp engineers could move or steal user data including contact information, IP addresses and profile photos without detection or audit trail."
Attaullah Baig, WhatsApp's head of security from 2021 to 2025, filed a federal lawsuit alleging Meta ignored major cybersecurity flaws and exposed billions of users. He asserts about 1,500 engineers had unrestricted access to user data without oversight, potentially breaching a US order tied to a $5bn 2020 penalty. He alleges failure to stop hacks and the takeover of more than 100,000 accounts daily, and says proposed fixes were ignored in favor of user growth. The complaint details basic security gaps, claims engineers could move or steal contact information, IP addresses and profile photos without audit trails, and says Baig faced escalating retaliation culminating in termination in February 2025. A Meta spokesperson called the claims distorted.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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