New privacy roll-out means Whatsapp users won’t have to share their phone numbers

WhatsApp icon displayed on a smartphone screen. Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT /AFP via Getty Images

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WhatsApp has launched a major privacy update that will let people chat without revealing their phone numbers.

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Instead, they will be exchanging messages using their usernames, reports the BBC. The platform is allowing users to reserve their chosen username now, as the roll-out to the platform’s three billion account holders continues over the next few months.

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The goal is to keep phone numbers private when chatting with new people or in group conversations, according to the Strait Times.

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Usernames will be limited to 35 characters with few restrictions, except for some high-profile officials and celebrities whose names will not be made available to anyone else.

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Reserving a username is to be done on the app with a user’s phone. It can’t be done on WhatsApp Web or Desktop. Users will be able to remove or change their usernames at any time. They will be notified when their new usernames are active.

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The company says there won’t be a public username directory. But phone numbers will still be required to set up a WhatsApp account.

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This shift raised concern that usernames only could mean more scams on the platform. Whatsapp says its systems will “detect and block abuse patterns.” And there will still be options to block or report unwanted messages.

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Meanwhile, the company says it will have an option for creators, small businesses and organizations to claim the username they have on Instagram or Facebook for consistency. Though users should note that if they want a WhatsApp username that matches their usernames on other Meta apps, they will need to link their account to the other accounts in the Accounts Centre, reports The Independent. That means some data will be shared across multiple Meta accounts, such as Threads and Messenger.

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WhatsApp does not use the content of private chats for advertising. They are protected by end-to-end-encryption, which means the company cannot read message content. However, it does use data such as general location, as well as basic account information such as age, to facilitate advertising.

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The new privacy approach is like identification systems offered by rival messaging applications, such as Signal, which also lets users start an exchange with a username instead of a phone number.

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