WhatsApp reserves high-profile usernames ahead of privacy feature rollout, Singapore leaders’ names blocked

Variations of these names have also been reserved. Checked showed that @LawrenceWong_ and @LawrenceWong1 are also not available.

WhatsApp announced last month that it would introduce usernames in gradual updates worldwide, allowing users to message others without sharing phone numbers.

Users can reserve their preferred username on WhatsApp before the new feature launches and will be notified when it is available in their countries.

“When it becomes available and someone sends you a message for the first time via your username, we will show you if they’re a new account, if they’re your contact, if you have groups in common, and if they’re based in a different country, so you can decide whether to respond,” said WhatsApp on Saturday.

It added that users will still need a phone number to use WhatsApp and that the recipient’s exact username is needed to message.

The platform will also limit the number of new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess usernames and use systems to detect and remove activity associated with impersonation and abuse patterns.