PTA starts blocking WhatsApp accounts tied to inactive SIM cards
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has begun blocking WhatsApp accounts linked to inactive SIM cards. It says the step follows an awareness campaign and aims to reduce misuse of numbers.
- PTA has begun blocking WhatsApp accounts linked to inactive SIMs.
- Officials say the move follows an awareness campaign for users.
- Users are advised to check SIM status and update their registered number.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has started blocking WhatsApp accounts that are linked to inactive SIM cards, according to ProPakistani, TechJuice and PhoneWorld.
PTA officials confirmed that the blocking began after an awareness campaign. The campaign urged users to keep their WhatsApp accounts registered to active mobile numbers that they own and control.
PTA believes the step will help prevent misuse of mobile numbers that are no longer held by their original users.
A WhatsApp account is tied to a phone number, and that number does not necessarily disappear when a SIM is deactivated, cancelled or abandoned. Telecom operators may eventually reissue inactive numbers to other subscribers.
If an old WhatsApp account is still registered to a reissued number, the original owner could lose control of it. The account could also be exposed to unauthorised access by whoever holds the number next.
PTA advised users to update their WhatsApp registration if the SIM card they registered with was deactivated, cancelled or is no longer in use. It urged people to check their SIM status and confirm that their accounts are registered to numbers they currently use and control.
Users who have changed mobile numbers should use WhatsApp's number-change feature, which moves the account registration to the current number.
The action follows earlier PTA warnings about the security risks of WhatsApp accounts registered on inactive or cancelled SIM cards. PhoneWorld also noted that a Senate committee separately raised concerns about misuse of WhatsApp accounts and alleged illegal use of SIM cards in financial fraud cases, but the PTA announcement does not link those concerns to the blocking.
Why it matters
Pakistani WhatsApp users whose registered SIMs are inactive, cancelled or no longer used may lose access to their accounts unless they update their number.
