The Algerian Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has taken a decisive step to strengthen digital security and accountability within its national digital landscape. In a formal communication addressed to Meta Platforms, the operator of WhatsApp, the Ministry affirmed its acceptance of the new 'Usernames' feature, which allows users to communicate without directly sharing their phone numbers. However, it unequivocally mandated that every active WhatsApp account utilized in Algeria must consistently be linked to a valid mobile phone number authenticated by national telecommunication operators. This directive underscores Algeria's commitment to maintaining a robust and verifiable digital environment.<\/p>\n
This crucial measure aims to enhance trust in the digital sphere and ensure greater accountability for users. The Ministry highlighted that the requirement is essential for preventing various forms of cybercrime, including fraud, identity theft, and the proliferation of anonymous accounts, aligning directly with existing Algerian laws. Furthermore, the Ministry clarified that this stipulation is necessary and proportionate, asserting that it neither infringes upon user privacy nor interferes with WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption system, thus balancing security with user experience.<\/p>\n
To facilitate the implementation of this policy, the Algerian Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has requested Meta Platforms to provide a formal written response. This response is expected to confirm the continued linkage of all WhatsApp accounts in Algeria to verified phone numbers and to detail a clear execution plan, including a specific timeline for any necessary technical adjustments tailored to the Algerian market. The Ministry has also expressed the readiness of its technical teams to engage in immediate coordination and exchange with representatives from Meta and WhatsApp to monitor the situation and implement the required technical procedures effectively.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Algeria’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has formally directed Meta Platforms to ensure all WhatsApp accounts operating within the country remain linked to validated local phone numbers, reinforcing national digital security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67345,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","iawp_total_views":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-algeria"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67346\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/67345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}