Will Cathcart

Head of @WhatsApp at @Meta

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Today @WhatsApp is taking a stand against the dangerous use of spyware. NSO Group claims they responsibly serve governments, but we found more than 100 human rights defenders and journalists targeted in an attack last May. This abuse must be stopped. https://t.co/iSMuwLa9yb

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

@RonDeibert 🙏

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Some personal news. After nearly 7 years leading WhatsApp, I'm excited to share who will take over the responsibility of delivering simple, reliable, and private messaging for the world. WhatsApp is in the strongest position it's ever been — and that felt like the right moment to step back.

I'm so proud of what we have built. We scaled end-to-end encrypted messaging to more than three billion people. We brought it to group chats, companion devices, new surfaces — and defended people's right to a private conversation across the globe.

Kunal Shah will be WhatsApp's next leader. He built CRED into one of India's most important technology companies and has a deep care for the people that rely on our apps. I���m very excited to see what Kunal and our amazing team continue to build.

Thank you for the privilege of serving people who rely on WhatsApp everywhere. 🙏

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

@kate_rouch thanks Kate, and same!

[Kunal Shah @kunalb11]

It’s been a minute.

2015–2018
- Exited FreeCharge. Spent time learning and investing.
- Pondered about: Why can't trust be rewarded? Started with $1M of personal capital.
- Launched CRED to reward people for paying credit card bills on time.

2019–2025
- Built a system run by a team that values ownership, judgment, and craft.
- Grew from 0 to 17M members by aligning incentives with behaviour.
- Built several products during COVID lockdowns.
- Raised $900M+ from global investors. Did 4 ESOP buybacks.
- Made Indiranagar and IPL ads slightly more interesting.
- Received a full stack of regulatory licences.
- Lost 35 kilos.
- Scaled from 0 to ~$325M ( ~₹3,200 crore) in annual revenue across payments, lending, insurance, commerce, wealth, and credit cards.
2026
- First profitable quarter (yet occasionally asked what our business model is)
- Raised another $900M from Meta in primary and secondary capital.
- Announcing our 5th ESOP buyback.

Today

CRED is ready for its next phase. I am stepping back and @miten steps in as interim CEO, partnered with an incredibly talented team. He has been heading strategy and finance and suffering me since 2020. I’m stepping away from the operating role and will continue as a shareholder. My commitment doesn’t change. Just the role.

Extremely grateful to our members, partners, regulators, and investors who made this possible. And to our board, Shailendra, Micky, Saurabh for their extraordinary conviction.

Team CRED, I’ll still expect you to be a 10x version of yourselves.

As for me, I’ll be joining Meta to lead WhatsApp globally.

Meta comes in as a minority investor in CRED. No access to member data.

While it’s come very far, the delta between WhatsApp today and its full potential is massive. I look forward to working with Mark, Chris, and the leadership across Meta for the next step in WhatsApp’s journey. Will, thank you for scaling something the world relies on quietly, and for making this transition smooth.

Onwards.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

NSO continues to violate US law, 7 years after we caught them targeting journalists and civil society. Today, we’re seeking to hold them in contempt for violating a U.S. court order prohibiting them from targeting WhatsApp.

Foreign spyware companies cannot be allowed to break U.S. law and endanger people’s private communications.

We’ve also made our first donation to the Spyware Accountability Initiative - working with civil society is crucial to protecting people’s privacy. We’re grateful for all they do to help protect people.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Thanks to @accessnow, @CenDemTech, @pressfreedom, @EFF, International Justice Clinic at @UCILaw, @MediaDefence, @privacyint, Reporters Without Borders, Agora International Human Rights Group, Data Rights, CyberPeace Institute, and @knightcolumbia

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Thank you to the civil society organizations who filed amicus briefs in our case against NSO that secured the first permanent injunction ever issued against a spyware firm.
No single company can take on the spyware industry alone. Privacy and security advocates do critical work that makes accountability possible. We're grateful to be in this fight together:

[Access Now @accessnow]

Access Now alongside ten other civil society organizations joined in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. court to uphold the permanent injunction against NSO Group and protect encryption from Pegasus spyware.

Read more: https://t.co/mPmSCQOf6B

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Really excited about this: a truly private way for people to get help from AI, coming to WhatsApp and the Meta AI app.

[Alexandr Wang @alexandr_wang]

incognito chat with meta ai coming to WhatsApp + Meta AI app!

people use AI to discuss personal topics and we want to make sure they ca do that privately. excited about this one!

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Canada's proposed bill would turn private companies into permanent government surveillance tools. Scanning everyone's messages weakens security for everyone.
Governments should be arguing for more security, not less.

[Reuters @Reuters]

Apple, Meta warn Canadian bill could force them to weaken encryption https://t.co/7cEQyyEo8v https://t.co/7cEQyyEo8v

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Incredibly excited about this. People use AI in ways that are deeply personal and require access to confidential information. It's important that we build that technology in a way that gives people the power to do that privately.

[Moxie Marlinspike @moxie]

Confer's privacy technology is coming to Meta AI. We're integrating private AI and end-to-end encryption into Meta's products: https://t.co/v6arAZLQCA

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

This is totally false. WhatsApp can’t read messages because the encryption keys are stored on your phone and we don’t have access to them. This is a no-merit, headline-seeking lawsuit brought by the very same firm defending NSO after their spyware attacked journalists and government officials.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

End-to-encryption at the core of WhatsApp is what makes it possible to bring privacy and security to over 3 billion of our users worldwide. We thank everyone in the Global Encryption Coalition for their tireless fight for people’s right to private and secure communication and against attempts at legislating mandates for breaking encryption around the world! #GlobalEncryptionDay #GED2025

[Global Encryption Coalition @globalencrypt]

The 5th annual Global Encryption Day is underway! In uncertain times, encryption keeps us safe. Join us today as encryption advocates across the globe stand up for strong encryption.

Find resources and events happening throughout the day (and week) here: https://t.co/ELJJ4Z0PtL

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

Today’s ruling bans spyware maker NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp and our global users again. We applaud this decision that comes after six years of litigation to hold NSO accountable for targeting members of civil society. It sets an important precedent that there are serious consequences to attacking an American company.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

The fight isn’t over. Our next step is to secure a court order to prevent NSO from ever targeting WhatsApp again.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

The current EU presidency proposal that leaked today would do away with end-to-end encryption as we know it, leading to a major compromise of people’s privacy. We urge everyone working on this issue to reject the latest proposal and stand up for people’s privacy.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

The latest EU Presidency proposal still breaks end-to-end encryption, risking everyone’s privacy and security — a view shared by experts from over 30 countries. We continue to urge EU countries to stand up for stronger security for their citizens and reject this proposal.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

The latest EU Presidency proposal still breaks end-to-end encryption, risking everyone’s privacy and security — a view shared by experts from over 30 countries. We continue to urge EU countries to stand up for stronger security for their citizens and reject this proposal.

[TechRadar @techradar]

Pressure within the EU Council, and domestically, has led to some nations changing their position on the controversial Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR). Yet, support remains stronger. https://t.co/hDk3E0tlcw

[John Scott-Railton @jsrailton]

NEW: the UK asked Apple to backdoor iCloud encryption.

Backdoor create a new, massive target for hackers & criminal groups.

And dictators will inevitably demand Apple do the same same.

Once again the @ukhomeoffice is putting your privacy at risk. 1/

[Matthew Green @matthew_d_green]

Second, how is Apple supposed to make a single encryption system that’s secure for US users but not for UK users? This would require that they partition their software globally and have many versions, which seems like a disaster. Are you sure you’re running the “secure” OS?

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

This is very concerning. Encryption protects everyone's privacy and weakening it would be bad for everyone, not just people in the UK.
The UK government should reverse course and embrace more security, not less.

[Financial Times @FT]

UK makes new attempt to access Apple cloud data https://t.co/6ER70lio7I

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

This is great news. And hopefully the UK is embracing encryption for people in the UK as well: better security helps keep people safe.

[DNI Tulsi Gabbard @DNIGabbard]

Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with our partners in the UK, alongside @POTUS and @VP, to ensure Americans' private data remains private and our Constitutional rights and civil liberties are protected.

As a result, the UK has agreed to drop its mandate for Apple to provide a "back door" that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens and encroached on our civil liberties.

[Will Cathcart @wcathcart]

@iampaulgrewal @Meta 🙏🙏🙏