From https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/01/whatsapp-usernames-are-already-raising-impersonation-red-flags/
Title : WhatsApp usernames are already raising impersonation red flags
By Jagmeet Singh , July 2026
WhatsApp this week started rolling out username reservations ahead of the broader launch planned later this year. The feature — which lets people find and message each other by handle instead of phone number — is already raising impersonation concerns ...
Asked about how it protects against impersonation, Meta told TechCrunch it reserves usernames for public figures, government entities, and “some variations” of those names so only the legitimate owner can claim them ...
Rachel Tobac, chief executive of SocialProof Security, called usernames a net privacy gain because they reduce the need to share phone numbers, which can expose users to SIM-swap attacks, phishing, and account takeovers. Still, she said, lookalike usernames still create opportunities for impersonation.
“Ultimately, usernames are a great idea to avoid leaking your phone number to folks you don’t know, but it’s important to verify identity with the username function too,” Tobac told TechCrunch.
Her advice for most users: Pick a username that isn’t easily guessable, so it’s harder for attackers to find you, message you cold, or harass and spam you.
Even WhatsApp acknowledges usernames won’t be one-size-fits-all. In an FAQ posted on X on Wednesday, the company said most users should choose a username unique to WhatsApp. However, it also lets users claim their existing Instagram or Facebook usernames by linking their accounts, saying the option is intended to help creators, businesses, and organizations maintain a consistent identity across Meta’s platforms while reducing impersonation.
The Mozilla Foundation said the introduction of usernames is likely to bring new tradeoffs. “Increased scams and impersonation from fake handles are potentially a big one,” it told TechCrunch. “Checking a phone number can be a useful verification tool, but these harms are also permitted by the platform’s fundamental design choices.”
Mozilla also flagged a broader interoperability question — one worth logging if you’re building on top of, or competing with, Meta’s ecosystem. While letting users claim their existing Facebook and Instagram usernames may cut down on impersonation, it also shows how easily Meta can stitch identity together across its own apps, even as users still can’t take that identity, or their contacts, to a rival platform.
For now, WhatsApp says it is taking a gradual approach to the rollout. “We’re taking our time and listening to feedback so that when it rolls out later this year we get it right,” the company said in its FAQ.
Title : WhatsApp usernames are already raising impersonation red flags
By Jagmeet Singh , July 2026
WhatsApp this week started rolling out username reservations ahead of the broader launch planned later this year. The feature — which lets people find and message each other by handle instead of phone number — is already raising impersonation concerns ...
Asked about how it protects against impersonation, Meta told TechCrunch it reserves usernames for public figures, government entities, and “some variations” of those names so only the legitimate owner can claim them ...
Rachel Tobac, chief executive of SocialProof Security, called usernames a net privacy gain because they reduce the need to share phone numbers, which can expose users to SIM-swap attacks, phishing, and account takeovers. Still, she said, lookalike usernames still create opportunities for impersonation.
“Ultimately, usernames are a great idea to avoid leaking your phone number to folks you don’t know, but it’s important to verify identity with the username function too,” Tobac told TechCrunch.
Her advice for most users: Pick a username that isn’t easily guessable, so it’s harder for attackers to find you, message you cold, or harass and spam you.
Even WhatsApp acknowledges usernames won’t be one-size-fits-all. In an FAQ posted on X on Wednesday, the company said most users should choose a username unique to WhatsApp. However, it also lets users claim their existing Instagram or Facebook usernames by linking their accounts, saying the option is intended to help creators, businesses, and organizations maintain a consistent identity across Meta’s platforms while reducing impersonation.
The Mozilla Foundation said the introduction of usernames is likely to bring new tradeoffs. “Increased scams and impersonation from fake handles are potentially a big one,” it told TechCrunch. “Checking a phone number can be a useful verification tool, but these harms are also permitted by the platform’s fundamental design choices.”
Mozilla also flagged a broader interoperability question — one worth logging if you’re building on top of, or competing with, Meta’s ecosystem. While letting users claim their existing Facebook and Instagram usernames may cut down on impersonation, it also shows how easily Meta can stitch identity together across its own apps, even as users still can’t take that identity, or their contacts, to a rival platform.
For now, WhatsApp says it is taking a gradual approach to the rollout. “We’re taking our time and listening to feedback so that when it rolls out later this year we get it right,” the company said in its FAQ.
