WhatsApp's former top security executive has filed a lawsuit against Meta in San Francisco, alleging security failures and retaliation. According to Attaullah Baig, approximately 1,500 engineers had access to user data without proper oversight, potentially violating a 2020 government order that imposed a fine of nearly ₱285 billion.
In the complaint, Baig said he discovered during an internal test that user data such as contact info, IP address, and profile photo could be transferred or stolen without an audit trail. He allegedly repeatedly reported the problem to officials, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He subsequently suffered negative reviews, verbal warnings, and was fired in February 2025 for alleged “poor performance.”
The lawsuit also added that Meta blocked the implementation of security features against account takeovers that affected an estimated 100,000 users daily. The company allegedly chose to prioritize user growth over safety.
Meta strongly denied the accusation and said Baig left due to poor performance. According to the company, several senior engineers attested to the poor quality of his work. They added that he was not really the “head of security,” but merely a lower position.
Baig is seeking reinstatement, back pay, and damages. The lawsuit is part of an ongoing investigation into the data protection practices of Meta, which has billions of users worldwide.
