Industry Odisha Bureau, Jun 30: Rolling out a new privacy feature due to the growing demand for greater privacy, Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly all set to let its users hide their phone numbers and use usernames as an alternative way.
As per international media reports, “The new ‘core privacy feature’ of WhatsApp will be rolled out expectedly this year following which the users of the messaging platform will be granted the option to be discovered and contacted through their chosen usernames instead of sharing their respective mobile numbers.”
International media reports also stated that, “WhatsApp has started allowing users to reserve unique usernames ahead of the new privacy feature’s rollout this year.”
Quoting WhatsApp’s Vice President of Product Alice Newton-Rex, the international media reported that, “The users will need to know a person’s exact username to contact him/her for the first time. A username will be between three and 35 characters long, while accounts linked to businesses, creators and organisations on Meta platforms such as Instagram and Facebook will get an opportunity to claim matching usernames.”
The Vice President of Product also reportedly informed that, “WhatsApp plans to reserve usernames associated with celebrities, public figures and government entities in a bid to prevent impersonation, while the company’s privacy controls will continue to include features such as blocking individual users and silencing unknown callers.”
