Web Desk: Pakistan’s telecom regulator, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), has launched a major initiative to deactivate WhatsApp accounts linked to inactive and cancelled SIM cards in collaboration with Meta.
According to the PTA, telecom operators currently have approximately 16 million recycled mobile numbers, raising concerns about the continued use of WhatsApp accounts registered against numbers that are no longer active with their original owners.
The PTA has developed a mechanism in coordination with Meta to ensure the permanent deactivation of WhatsApp accounts associated with inactive and cancelled SIM cards.
The process has now begun, targeting accounts registered through numbers that have been disconnected or recycled by telecom operators.
The initiative seeks to address potential security and privacy risks associated with recycled mobile numbers.
When a mobile number is deactivated and subsequently reassigned to another subscriber, its previous owner may still have a WhatsApp account linked to it. This can create complications for both former and new users.
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