- WhatsApp users who have changed mobile numbers are advised to delete their account.
- This is because deactivated numbers will be issued again to new users.
- Here are the details of SC’s warning to WhatsApp users.
The Supreme Court of India has reportedly warned WhatsApp users to delete all data while deactivating their account. The warning comes from a ruling that allows telcos to reallocate mobile numbers that are no longer in use to new subscribers. This means that if your WhatsApp account is still linked to a number you no longer use, someone else might get access to it.
Supreme Court warning for WhatsApp users
Telcos in India including Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea can reallocate deactivated or disconnected mobile numbers again, according to a report by Gadgets Now. This is possible after a statutory period of 90 days. So this means that if a mobile number has remained deactivated or disconnected for 90 days, then the telco can assign the same number to a new user.
How does it affect WhatsApp users?
- WhatsApp users can be affected by this if their account is still active but the number is no longer in use. Since WhatsApp uses mobile number for verification it’s possible that the new user while registering will have access to the older account.
- If you’re registering a new number on WhatsApp or switching to a different device, it will only be possible when your mobile number is verified. With access to a phone number, the same process will be followed to register a new WhatsApp account. This way they might have access to chats and other data of the old WhatsApp account.
- SC advises WhatsApp users to delete their WhatsApp account if they’re planning to not use it anymore. It also advises users to wipe out all WhatsApp data from their devices and cloud storage. This way even if the same number is used for WhatsApp it will register as a new account and not an existing one.
WhatsApp is working on email address verification for accessing one’s account. This is another way to access your WhatsApp account if you’re switching devices. But this too only serves as an alternative method as you will still need your mobile number to create a new WhatsApp account.
