US National Security Council Advisor Faces Scrutiny Over Signal Messaging App Usage
Concerns arise over Mike Waltz's management of multiple chat groups for sensitive discussions.
Mike Waltz, the Chief of the National Security Council (NSC) under former President Donald Trump, is under investigation for his use of the Signal messaging application for potentially sensitive communications.
Reports indicate that Waltz and his team operated around 20 chat groups on Signal, where discussions on a range of confidential topics reportedly took place.
Signal, which offers end-to-end encryption similar to platforms like WhatsApp and Facetime, stores messages on users' devices, raising concerns about possible security vulnerabilities.
According to sources identified as members of these chat groups, Waltz predominantly utilized Signal for NSC communications.
Discussions within these groups included critical security issues affecting regions such as Ukraine, China, Gaza, and various matters concerning Europe and Africa.
It was reported that these groups comprised officials from the US Cabinet and senior personnel.
One participant noted that establishing chat groups for all current security issues was standard practice.
In response to questions regarding these communications, NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes defended the methods, asserting that they were legitimate channels for discussing non-classified materials.
Hughes emphasized that users are responsible for securing their dialogues and categorically denied any exchange of classified information, declaring such claims as "100 percent false." Despite this clarification, sources indicate that while classified information was not explicitly shared within these groups, discussions involved confidential material.
The scrutiny intensified after revelations surfaced that Waltz, along with officials such as Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had shared plans related to military actions against Houthi militants in Yemen within one of the Signal groups.
This communication inadvertently included the editor of a prominent media outlet, raising further questions about the security protocols surrounding the use of messaging applications for discussions of national security.
Reports indicate that Waltz and his team operated around 20 chat groups on Signal, where discussions on a range of confidential topics reportedly took place.
Signal, which offers end-to-end encryption similar to platforms like WhatsApp and Facetime, stores messages on users' devices, raising concerns about possible security vulnerabilities.
According to sources identified as members of these chat groups, Waltz predominantly utilized Signal for NSC communications.
Discussions within these groups included critical security issues affecting regions such as Ukraine, China, Gaza, and various matters concerning Europe and Africa.
It was reported that these groups comprised officials from the US Cabinet and senior personnel.
One participant noted that establishing chat groups for all current security issues was standard practice.
In response to questions regarding these communications, NSC spokesperson Brian Hughes defended the methods, asserting that they were legitimate channels for discussing non-classified materials.
Hughes emphasized that users are responsible for securing their dialogues and categorically denied any exchange of classified information, declaring such claims as "100 percent false." Despite this clarification, sources indicate that while classified information was not explicitly shared within these groups, discussions involved confidential material.
The scrutiny intensified after revelations surfaced that Waltz, along with officials such as Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, had shared plans related to military actions against Houthi militants in Yemen within one of the Signal groups.
This communication inadvertently included the editor of a prominent media outlet, raising further questions about the security protocols surrounding the use of messaging applications for discussions of national security.
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