Algeria urges Meta to block non-local WhatsApp accounts
Algeria's Ministry of Post and Telecommunications has asked Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, to require all WhatsApp accounts to be linked to a valid mobile number registered with an Algerian telecom operator.The request comes after Meta introduced a new WhatsApp feature in June 2026 that enables users to communicate using unique usernames rather than their phone numbers.In a statement posted on Facebook, the ministry said it does not oppose the feature as an additional layer of privacy, particularly as it allows users to avoid sharing their phone numbers.But it stressed that all active WhatsApp accounts in Algeria must remain linked to valid, documented mobile numbers registered with national telecom operators.The Ministry also requested that Meta provide a written official response confirming that every active WhatsApp account in Algeria is linked to a correct and documented phone number.Related:Nigerian watchdog fines Meta $220M for data abuseAlgeria also called on Meta to prohibit the creation or maintenance of WhatsApp accounts that rely solely on usernames without being linked to a verified phone number, and to provide a clear implementation plan and timeline for any technical changes required in the Algerian market."This request is necessary and appropriate, and it does not conflict with the privacy of users or end-to-end encryption. The goal is to ensure digital trust and accountability, and to contribute to preventing fraud and identity theft and cybercrime, in accordance with the laws in force in Algeria," the Ministry added.Algeria's concerns echo those raised by India, which in July 2026 became the first country to formally ask Meta to temporarily suspend the WhatsApp username feature.Algeria is not the first country in Africa to have a problem with big tech companies in recent years.In June 2026, Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) said it was investigating global technology companies, like Meta, Alphabet (Google) and X, as well as several GenAI platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices.In February 2025, the Competition Commission of South Africa recommended that Google compensate the local news media between $16.3 million and $27.2 million annually, for at least three years, for alleged anti-competitive behavior.In 2024, the FCCPC imposed a $220 million fine on Meta – the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram – over alleged data abuse of Nigerian users.
