The messaging application used by President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor during a recent Cabinet meeting has been temporarily shut down following reports of a security breach, according to the app’s parent company, Smarsh.
The possible breach of TeleMessage, an app developed in Israel that serves as a modified version of the encrypted messaging service Signal, was initially reported on Sunday by tech news outlet 404 Media.
The White House has yet to respond to Finance Newso’s inquiry regarding the temporary suspension of TeleMessage services.
This controversy raised concerns about the potential automatic deletion of messages in the private thread, which could raise issues related to federal records retention laws.
TeleMessage, which is based on Signal, promotes itself as a solution for government and business compliance with these laws by facilitating backup copies of conversations.
However, 404 Media reported last week that TeleMessage may compromise Signal’s end-to-end encryption, which secures message privacy, because messages can potentially be retrieved after being stored elsewhere.
A spokesperson for Signal commented to NBC News on Friday, “We cannot guarantee the privacy or security features of unofficial adaptations of Signal.”
The image of Waltz’s phone suggested he was communicating with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Despite concerns, the White House has defended the use of Signal within the administration, asserting that it is authorized for official communications and pre-installed on government devices.
In an interview with The Atlantic, two days before the Cabinet meeting, Trump remarked, “I think we learned: Maybe don’t use Signal, okay?”
On Thursday, Trump announced his intention to nominate Waltz as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Rubio, already serving as Secretary of State, acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and acting archivist of the United States, will assume the role of interim national security advisor until a permanent appointment is made, Trump stated.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
