PTA, Meta block 176,000 WhatsApp accounts linked to recycled SIMs

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Meta have disabled 176,000 WhatsApp accounts tied to recycled mobile numbers, Business Recorder reported on November 6. The action followed complaints that accounts linked to cancelled or inactive SIMs were being used for cyber fraud.

PTA has given Meta about 10 million recycled numbers for checks, and the two sides have agreed to share 5,000 numbers each month under a continuing process. Telecom operators hold around 16 million recycled numbers, while Meta resolved 82% of complaints referred by PTA in the previous year. The phased blocking plan is intended to reduce the risk that new holders of old numbers could misuse accounts that remain active.