WhatsApp to let people chat with usernames – how to reserve one
Secure messaging app Signal Offered the same service in 2024, external.
“This is a good feature, but keep in mind that even if it offers more privacy, WhatsApp is not a privacy-friendly app overall,” said Carisa Veliz, a professor at the University of Oxford and author of Privacy is Power.
“It collects a lot of metadata about users for marketing purposes.
“We must remember that WhatsApp is owned by Meta, one of the tech companies with the worst track record on privacy.”
WhatsApp does not use the content of private chats for advertising purposes. These are protected with end-to-end encryption, meaning the company cannot read the content of the messages.
However, it uses data such as your general location and basic account information such as age to support advertising.
Once the feature is fully rolled out, individual phone numbers will no longer appear on WhatsApp.
There will be no public username directory and phone numbers will continue to be required to have a WhatsApp account in the first place.
Some have expressed concern that usernames could open the door to more scams on the platform.
company he told an X user, external Asked about security measures to protect users against scammers, the person said it has “multiple layers of defense.”
He said optional username keys (short numbered codes) could be added; This means people can only contact you if they have your username and key.
It added that its systems “detect and block patterns of abuse.”
The minimum age to use the platform is 13 and messaging apps will not be included in the under-16 social media ban that will be introduced in the UK next year.
WhatsApp It recently announced that Kunal Shah, founder of an Indian fintech start-up, will take over as president of the platform and Will Cathcart will step down after seven years in the role.
