Message-Archiving App Used by Waltz Banned by Three US Departments
Michael Waltz looks at his phone as he prepares for a TV interview at the White House in Washington DC, on May 1.
Photographer: Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesTakeaways NEW
Three federal departments prohibited their employees from accessing TeleMessage — a message archiving app that former National Security Adviser Michael Waltz used while communicating with other members of the Trump administration — after assessments determined they weren’t secure enough, according to three people familiar with the matter.
IT chiefs at the three departments considered using TeleMessage as a way for staff members to comply with federal record retention laws while using encrypted messaging apps, according to the people. TeleMessage, owned by the Portland, Oregon-based Smarsh Inc., enables users to archive messages from the Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram apps.