The U.S. House of Representatives has prohibited the use of the popular messaging app WhatsApp from all government-issued devices, escalating a tense standoff between lawmakers and Big Tech over data security and transparency. The House Office of Cybersecurity designated the app a “high-risk to users,” according to the CAO’s office. This aligns with the CAO’s critique of the app’s lack of transparency. A Widening Digital Iron CurtainThe move to ban WhatsApp is not an isolated event but the latest action in a broader government strategy to secure its digital environment. When foundational promises about the user experience are broken, it becomes more difficult for government bodies to trust assurances about data security.