A new report from The Guardian just revealed a massive loophole in WhatsApp’s secure communications. Which means that your end-to-end encrypted messages might not be as private as WhatsApp claims.

The vulnerability allows Facebook and others to potentially intercept and read encrypted messages without users knowing. Privacy activists warn that the loophole, which has been described as a “retransmission vulnerability” could also serve as a “backdoor” for governments to snoop on users.

From racial justice activists to dissidents in authoritarian countries, a billion users have chosen WhatsApp because of its promise of a secure messaging platform. But this vulnerability calls that promise into question. To regain users’ trust, WhatsApp must close this dangerous loophole.

Tell WhatsApp not to let our messages be cracked by government agencies and close this security loophole!

Governments across the world are ramping up surveillance measures -- like the UK’s new Investigatory Powers Act -- which makes secure messaging platforms more crucial than ever. With privacy experts calling WhatsApp’s loophole a “goldmine for security agencies,” this is a huge threat to our civil liberties.

When Facebook bought out WhatsApp in 2014, many were worried that WhatsApp’s commitment to security would be on the chopping block. And while Facebook promised it would not interfere with encrypted messages, it now looks like they’ve been granted access to messages meant only to be seen by sender and recipient.

We’ve come together with privacy activists in the past to demand Facebook stop censoring users at the request of the police -- and together have gotten our foot in the door to enact real change in Facebook policy. Now, we need to do the same to demand that WhatsApp protect users from corporate and government surveillance and close this privacy vulnerability.