WhatsApp don announce say dem go soon allow users to chat without giving out their phone number. Instead, people go fit use unique username to connect. Dis one go roll out to di platform wey get over three billion accounts for di next few months.
From Monday, users go fit start to reserve a name through di app, but e no go be compulsory. Di company say people go fit remove or change their username anytime dem want.
Once di feature fully activate, WhatsApp users go fit connect after dem just exchange usernames. Still, options go dey to block or report unwanted messages. Usernames go limit to 35 characters, and few restrictions dey, except for some high profile officials and celebrities wey dia names no go dey available to anybody else. So e no likely say WhatsApp go overrun with users wey call themselves Donald Trump, for example.
Di Meta-owned company describe usernames as a privacy feature. Alice Newton-Rex, wey be WhatsApp head of product, say she don hear from users say dem no always want to share their phone numbers to contact others, especially for group chats. She hope di feature go give users control over how dem choose to show up on di app.
Di secure messaging app Signal don introduce similar service for 2024. Carisa Veliz, professor for Oxford University and author of Privacy is Power, say: “E be good feature, but even if e offer more privacy, remember say WhatsApp no be privacy-friendly app overall. E dey collect plenty metadata about users for marketing purposes. We must remember say WhatsApp dey owned by Meta – one of di tech companies with di worst track records when e come to privacy.”
WhatsApp no dey use content of private chats for advertising. Those dey protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning di company no fit read di contents of messages. But e dey use data – like who you message and when – to support advertising. Once di feature fully roll out, individual phone numbers go no longer dey visible on WhatsApp. No public username directory go dey, and phone numbers still dey required to get WhatsApp account for di first place.
Di minimum age for using di platform na 13, and messaging apps no go include for UK upcoming social media ban for under 16 year olds, wey dem suppose implement next year. WhatsApp recently announce say Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech start-up, go take over as head of di platform – with Will Cathcart stepping down after seven years for di role.
