'Biggest consumer fraud ever': Telegram CEO slams WhatsApp's encryption claims
What's the story
A fierce privacy battle has erupted in the messaging world, with tech titans Telegram's Pavel Durov and Elon Musk questioning WhatsApp's encryption claims. Following Musk's comments, Durov has now intensified the attack by calling WhatsApp's encryption promises the "biggest consumer fraud in history." The allegations come as Meta-owned WhatsApp faces legal scrutiny over its user data practices.
Public attack
Durov intensifies attack on WhatsApp
Durov did not hold back in his criticism, taking to X to say, "WhatsApp's 'encryption' may be the biggest consumer fraud in history, deceiving billions of users." He further alleged that despite its claims, WhatsApp reads users' messages and shares them with third parties. Durov emphasized that Telegram has never done this and never will.
Twitter Post
WhatsApp has deceived billions of users
WhatsApp’s “encryption” may be the biggest consumer fraud in history — deceiving billions of users. Despite its claims, it reads users’ messages and shares them with third parties. Telegram has never done this — and never will 🤝 pic.twitter.com/2DYguybgoU
— Pavel Durov (@durov) April 9, 2026
Privacy concerns
Musk urges users to switch to X Chat
Musk has also been vocal about privacy concerns in messaging platforms. Responding to a recent lawsuit, he said, "Can't trust WhatsApp," and urged users to switch to X Chat, a messaging feature integrated into his platform. He described it as offering "this great benefit of actual privacy," positioning it as a more secure alternative.
Twitter Post
A look at Musk's post
Can’t trust WhatsApp https://t.co/Ts55gVXqkD
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2026
Legal scrutiny
Controversy stems from class action lawsuit against Meta
The controversy is centered around a class action lawsuit that accuses Meta of violating its own encryption promises by allowing access to private messages. The lawsuit alleges that WhatsApp allowed employees and third-party contractors, including those associated with Accenture, to intercept and view user messages. It claims "WhatsApp/Meta employees had backdoor access to all WhatsApp user messages" for investigations or internal reviews.
Company response
Meta denies allegations, calls them 'absurd'
Meta has strongly denied these allegations, calling them "The claims in this lawsuit are categorically false and absurd." The company said, "WhatsApp has been end-to-end encrypted using the Signal protocol for a decade so your messages cannot be read by anyone other than the sender and recipient." WhatsApp's official documentation also reiterates this position, stating that no one outside a chat, "not even WhatsApp," can access messages.
Platform challenges
Telegram's position as a privacy champion under scrutiny
Despite positioning itself as a privacy champion, Telegram has faced criticism over its moderation practices and alleged misuse by bad actors. In 2024, Durov was arrested in France over insufficient moderation allegations linked to illegal content distribution. Russian authorities have also launched an investigation into Durov over alleged links to extremist activities, raising the possibility of regulatory action against the platform in its home region.