Pentagon Watchdog Criticizes Defense Secretary's Use of Private Messaging App

A Pentagon watchdog report concluded that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal messaging app risked American personnel and their mission. The report focused on his communication of sensitive information about a U.S. military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. Two sources familiar with the findings disclosed the report's conclusions on Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity. The report did not find that Hegseth acted improperly in declassifying the material. A defense secretary holds the authority to declassify information. However, the watchdog determined that using the private, encrypted app created a security risk. The concern is that such platforms may not provide sufficient record-keeping for highly sensitive communications.