Islamabad (Web Desk): Social media giant Meta has shut down 176,000 WhatsApp accounts linked to mobile numbers that had been reissued, following a request from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
According to officials, WhatsApp accounts associated with cancelled and inactive mobile numbers had become a major source of cyber fraud and online scams, prompting authorities to take action against them.
PTA officials said they had received several complaints about fraud being carried out through WhatsApp accounts linked to inactive mobile numbers. To address the issue, the authority contacted Meta and requested the closure of such accounts.
According to documents, telecom companies have approximately 16 million mobile numbers that can be reissued to new users. Of these, the PTA had provided Meta with details of 10 million numbers.
Under the procedure agreed upon between the PTA and Meta, details of 5,000 reissued mobile numbers will be sent to the company every month. WhatsApp accounts linked to these numbers will then be gradually deactivated.
According to PTA officials, Meta had also resolved 82 percent of the complaints received last year. The initiative aims to prevent cybercrime and protect mobile users from online fraud.