WhatsApp Closes Privacy Gap: Will Allow Use of Usernames
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
WhatsApp users will soon have the option to use usernames instead of phone numbers, the company announced on Monday, revealing plans to address a privacy blind spot. The app indicated that it has begun allowing users to reserve unique usernames, which can be used to contact WhatsApp users when the feature launches later this year. WhatsApp, which claims to have over 3 billion users worldwide, has previously allowed anyone with a person's phone number to contact them. The app, owned by Meta Platforms, noted in a blog post that in the 'coming months,' users will have the option to be found and contacted only by their username, not by their phone number, though it did not provide specific timing. 'We have designed this as a core privacy feature,' said Alice Newton-Rex, WhatsApp's product vice president, to reporters. There will not be a directory of usernames in the app, and the app will not suggest usernames as users type. 'People will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time,' Newton-Rex added.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
