Anyone can remotely deactivate your WhatsApp account: they only need your phone number.

Mobile devices have become the brains behind everything we do. Our whole life is usually stored there, from the most personal to the most public information. In some cases, they are even tied to our mobile phone number. For this reason, the security expert went to warn WhatsApp users of a danger that could result in their accounts being disabled from one moment to the next, and there is no way to know.

Jake Moore, ESET’s Global Cybersecurity Consultant, posted a series of tweets warning users of this. As he comments, It is very easy for an attacker, an abusive partner, or anyone who knows your phone number to deactivate your WhatsApp account.. Worst of all, you can do this remotely by sending an email to Meta HQ.

Actually, Whatsapp FAQ site, it’s detailed. “Send us an email with the phrase ‘Lost/stolen phone: please deactivate my account’ in your message and include your phone number in full international format.” Jake Moore took a screenshot of this and posted it on his page. twitter account with the following question:

The worst thing is that this email account It does not have to be associated with a WhatsApp deactivation number.. This is of course a problem, since anyone can do it on behalf of another. A few days after the operation, the contact will remain without a photo, and all messages you send will remain unconsidered. That is, in one check.

Meta has temporarily stopped this feature in order to deactivate WhatsApp accounts.

To test this feature and its effectiveness, Jake Moore decided to send an email to WhatsApp asking him to deactivate his account. However, there seems to be something going on inside the Meta’s offices, namely this option is temporarily disabled.

Moore laughs on his Twitter account with the message: “I wonder how many requests came in by rain!” so Meta felt compelled to deactivate this WhatsApp feature. On the other hand, thanks to the username feature that the company has begun testing, this fear can be dispelled very soon.

Luckily, if you are a victim of this feature, or fear becoming one in the future, you have nothing to worry about. Beyond the bad times you can re-link whatsapp with deactivated phone number. After all, this is a temporary measure that the company has put in place to prevent criminals from getting hold of your information if it is stolen or lost.

What will replace this feature? As of now, the Meta has not ruled on this issue. However, we expect it to be a slightly more rigorous process, and lies in the fact that with this option you can deactivate someone else’s account without even wanting it. All it takes is to enter the wrong number and someone else in the country will be left without WhatsApp until further notice.