Trump Officials Adjust Venmo Privacy After Signal Chat Revelation

The revelation that the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic had inadvertently been added to a Signal chat with top Trump administration officials about Yemen attack plans sparked immediate concerns about national security and privacy. In response, some of those officials took swift action to modify or delete their Venmo accounts, highlighting the potential vulnerabilities posed by public information sharing on social media platforms.

Venmo Accounts Under Scrutiny

Venmo, a popular mobile payment service owned by PayPal, allows users to send and receive money quickly. However, it also presents a unique challenge as it enables the public to view users' contacts if privacy settings are not changed. This feature has raised concerns among national security experts who warn that foreign intelligence services or malicious actors could exploit this information for their own gain.

High-Profile Accounts Exposed

Screenshots obtained by CBS News revealed that White House national security adviser Michael Waltz's Venmo friends list was publicly accessible as late as Tuesday, a day after The Atlantic published its report on the Signal chat. His contact list included journalists, government officials, active and retired service members, and members of Congress. Evidence suggested that Waltz had engaged in financial transactions on the platform. Similarly, Susie Wiles, President Trump's chief of staff, was listed among Waltz's Venmo contacts, although her account is now inaccessible.

When contacted by Wired magazine, the White House acknowledged these privacy concerns and stated that necessary updates had been made to protect personal information. James Hewitt, an NSC spokesman, confirmed that "Venmo is a commonly used app, and Mike Waltz has made necessary updates for his personal privacy protection."

Other Officials Under Investigation

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who faced criticism for sharing details about the March 15 U.S. strike on Iranian-backed Houthis during the Signal chat, previously had a Venmo account that was deactivated in early March. In February, reporters from The American Prospect discovered that Hegseth's Venmo was publicly accessible, revealing contacts such as defense contractors, UnitedHealth executives, fellow veterans, and colleagues at Fox News.

Joe Kent, nominated by Mr. Trump to lead the National Counterterrorism Center, was also on the Signal chat as a point of contact for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. His Venmo account remained open for public viewing as of Thursday morning. The office of the director of national intelligence has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Leaked Personal Information

Der Spiegel reported that private contact details for Waltz, Gabbard, and Hegseth had been leaked online. Reporters from the German news publication found mobile phone numbers, email addresses, and even some passwords belonging to these senior Trump officials. Notably, most of these numbers and email addresses were still active.

Defending Their Participation

During a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Wednesday, Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe defended their participation in the group chat. While acknowledging that the conversation was "sensitive," Gabbard denied any sharing of classified information. She stated, "There were no sources, methods, locations or war plans that were shared."

On Tuesday, both Gabbard and Ratcliffe asserted that they were unaware of any information shared regarding weapons packages, targets, or timing. However, The Atlantic subsequently released more texts on these topics after officials on the chat repeatedly claimed that nothing disclosed was classified. The messages revealed that Hegseth provided detailed information about the strikes targeting Houthi rebels earlier this month, including a timeline of fighter jet takeoffs and the types of weapons used.

Cybersecurity Concerns

Multiple U.S. intelligence officials and members of the U.S. military have emphasized that the information shared by Hegseth is always classified. Even if it were unclassified, it would still constitute a violation of cybersecurity and operational security protocols. CBS News published an unclassified internal National Security Agency bulletin warning of vulnerabilities in using the Signal app, despite its encryption. The bulletin was widely distributed to NSA employees a month before Waltz created the Signal chatroom.

The bulletin also underscored that third-party messaging applications like Signal and WhatsApp are permitted for certain "unclassified accountability/recall exercises" but not for communicating more sensitive information. NSA employees were warned against sending anything compromising over social media or internet-based tools and to avoid establishing connections with unknown individuals.