The Texas Attorney General's Office has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its messaging service WhatsApp, alleging the companies misled consumers by falsely claiming that WhatsApp messages are fully encrypted while retaining access to "virtually all" private communications. Filed in Harrison County court under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act — the state's primary consumer protection law — the suit seeks a court order preventing Meta and WhatsApp from accessing Texans' messages without consent, as well as monetary penalties. Meta denied the allegations, with a company spokesman stating that WhatsApp cannot access users' encrypted communications; the case is the latest in a string of data privacy lawsuits brought by Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office secured a $1.375 billion settlement from Google in May 2025 over similar privacy violations.