Ex-WhatsApp Security Chief Sues Meta, Alleges Massive User Data Risks

Photo: LinkedIn

India-West News Desk

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A former top cybersecurity executive at WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of the messaging app, alleging that the tech giant ignored critical security flaws and put billions of users at risk.

Attaullah Baig, who led WhatsApp’s security team from 2021 to 2025, claims the company systematically violated cybersecurity regulations and retaliated against him after he raised concerns about unsafe practices.

According to Baig, roughly 1,500 engineers had unrestricted access to user data without proper oversight, potentially violating a 2020 U.S. government order that had imposed a $5 billion penalty on Meta.

Baig also alleges that Meta failed to address the hacking and takeover of more than 100,000 accounts daily, choosing to prioritize user growth over security. In a 115-page complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Baig details how WhatsApp engineers could “move or steal user data,” including contact information, IP addresses, and profile photos, without detection or audit trails.

An alumnus of India’s National Institute of Technology, Warangal, he has spent decades in cybersecurity. A LinkedIn profile says he also has a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Utah. Before his tenure at WhatsApp, Baig held cybersecurity roles at major institutions, including PayPal and Capital One.

He says he repeatedly alerted senior executives, including WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, about security vulnerabilities, but his warnings were ignored. Baig alleges that his efforts to enforce security protocols led to escalating retaliation, including negative performance reviews, verbal warnings, and ultimately, his termination in February 2025.

He also filed complaints with federal regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, prior to pursuing this litigation. In his whistleblower suit, Baig is seeking reinstatement, back pay, compensatory damages, and potential regulatory enforcement against Meta.

Meta has denied the allegations, emphasizing that Baig was let go for poor performance. The company noted that multiple senior engineers corroborated his underperformance and that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration dismissed Baig’s earlier complaints, finding no evidence of retaliation.