Meta has blocked 176,000 WhatsApp accounts in Pakistan following a request from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The accounts were reportedly linked to inactive, cancelled, or recycled mobile phone numbers. According to PTA officials, the action aims to prevent online fraud, identity misuse, and other security risks associated with WhatsApp accounts registered on numbers that are no longer active.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has initiated a major effort to address the misuse of WhatsApp accounts linked to inactive and recycled mobile numbers across the country.
As part of this initiative, Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has deactivated 176,000 accounts following information provided by the telecom regulator.
According to PTA officials, several complaints had been received regarding fraudulent activities involving WhatsApp accounts registered on mobile numbers that were no longer active or had been cancelled by telecom operators.
Officials explained that such accounts could create security risks when mobile numbers previously assigned to one person are later issued to another user.
A recycled mobile number is a phone number that was previously registered to a subscriber but was later deactivated and made available for reassignment by a telecom company.
In some cases, WhatsApp accounts may remain associated with these numbers even after the original users stop using their SIM cards.
This situation can create opportunities for fraudsters to misuse identities, deceive contacts, or attempt unauthorized access to accounts.
According to PTA officials, telecom operators in Pakistan currently have approximately 16 million recycled mobile numbers in their records.
Out of these, the PTA shared details of 10 million numbers with Meta to help identify WhatsApp accounts that may still be associated with inactive or reassigned phone numbers.
Following the information-sharing process, Meta blocked 176,000 WhatsApp accounts as part of the effort to reduce potential misuse.
The development is part of broader cooperation between the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Meta to improve digital security and protect mobile phone users.
PTA officials also confirmed that a formal procedure has been established with Meta for identifying and disabling WhatsApp accounts associated with inactive or recycled mobile numbers.
Under the agreed mechanism, the PTA will share details of approximately 5,000 recycled mobile numbers with Meta every month.
Accounts associated with these numbers will be reviewed and disabled in phases according to the established process.
The monthly information-sharing arrangement is intended to ensure that accounts linked to outdated or reassigned numbers are regularly identified and addressed.
Officials believe that continued cooperation between the telecom regulator and Meta could help reduce cases of identity misuse and fraudulent activity involving messaging platforms.
The PTA also provided information regarding its previous cooperation with Meta in resolving complaints.
According to officials, Meta successfully addressed 82 percent of the complaints received during the previous year.
The figure highlights the ongoing coordination between the two organizations in dealing with user complaints and online security concerns.
The action has also drawn attention to the importance of keeping WhatsApp accounts connected to active mobile numbers.
Users who change their phone numbers are generally advised to update their WhatsApp account information through the application’s Change Number feature.
This helps transfer account details to the new number and reduces the possibility of complications if the previous number is reassigned to another person.
Cybersecurity guidance also recommends enabling two-step verification and avoiding sharing WhatsApp verification codes with unknown individuals.
These precautions can help protect users from unauthorized account access and online scams.
The PTA and Meta are expected to continue reviewing accounts associated with recycled numbers under the newly established mechanism.
However, the report does not specify how many additional accounts may be disabled in future phases.
For now, the blocking of 176,000 WhatsApp accounts represents a significant step in the authorities’ efforts to address security concerns involving inactive mobile numbers.
According to PTA officials, the primary objective is to reduce cyber fraud, protect users’ personal information, and prevent the misuse of WhatsApp accounts linked to numbers that are no longer in use by their original owners.