Dutch consumer organization Consumentenbond has warned users to be careful when choosing their optional WhatsApp username.
Meta announced the introduction of usernames on June 29, 2026, and encouraged users to reserve their username now.
Meta offers this feature as:
“a major privacy feature designed to help you connect with new people without giving away your phone number.”
The new system gives users three practical choices: reuse an existing Facebook or Instagram name, create a separate unique WhatsApp username, or ignore the feature and keep using a phone number.
