WhatsApp’s upcoming shift from phone numbers to usernames has triggered concerns over user privacy, impersonation and deeper integration with parent Meta’s broader advertising ecosystem across Facebook and Instagram. WhatsApp told ET that such fears were overblown. The feature, expected to roll out later this year, will allow users to connect using usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers. While experts say this reduces exposure of personal phone numbers and lowers risks such as SIM-swapping and contact scraping, they warn that the move also raises fresh questions over data sharing, platform integration and identity fraud. Do you support the username feature for privacy ?
