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Fired WhatsApp Security Chief Exposes Massive Data Vulnerabilities
8 Sep
Summary
- Attaullah Baig, former WhatsApp security head, filed lawsuit against Meta
- Alleges 1,500 engineers had unrestricted access to user data
- Claims Meta failed to fix hacking and account takeovers
In a bombshell lawsuit filed on Monday, Attaullah Baig, the former head of security for WhatsApp, has accused parent company Meta of systematically disregarding internal cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposing billions of users to potential data breaches.
According to the 115-page complaint, Baig, who served in the role from 2021 to 2025, discovered that approximately 1,500 WhatsApp engineers had unrestricted access to user data, including contact information, IP addresses, and profile photos, without proper oversight. He repeatedly raised these concerns with senior executives, including WhatsApp head Will Cathcart and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, but the company allegedly failed to address the issues.
Baig also claims that Meta ignored his pleas to remedy the hacking and takeover of more than 100,000 accounts each day, instead prioritizing user growth over security. The lawsuit alleges that Meta failed to implement adequate data handling and breach detection capabilities, potentially violating a 2020 government order that imposed a $5 billion penalty on the company.
Baig, who previously worked in cybersecurity roles at PayPal and other major financial institutions, alleges he faced escalating retaliation after his initial reports in 2021, including negative performance reviews, verbal warnings, and ultimately termination in February 2025 for "poor performance."
