Privacy Wins in Court, WhatsApp, and EU Battle

WhatsApp Rolls Out Optional Usernames to Protect Phone Numbers

WhatsApp announced the global reservation of usernames on Monday, an optional feature designed to protect the privacy of its more than three billion users. Instead of sharing a phone number, users can connect via a unique username. Reservations begin rolling out today, with general availability later this year. The feature is described as a privacy tool, not a social media handle; there is no directory to browse, and users must know the exact username to initiate contact. Each username must be unique, and WhatsApp provides a generator to assist with selection. Users can optionally set up a username key for extra protection, requiring someone to know the key the first time they attempt to reach them. A Meta spokesperson said the key lets users control who can contact them via username and can be reset at any time to cut off new inbound messages. Content creators, small businesses, and organizations may claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp. Once enabled, other accounts cannot view or access a user’s phone number. The feature rolls out gradually over the coming months, and WhatsApp will notify users when available in their country. This development comes more than two years after Signal introduced a similar username feature.

WhatsApp is Finally Getting Usernames to Help Keep Phone Numbers Private →

Supreme Court Rules Police Need Warrants for Geofence Searches

The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Monday that law enforcement must obtain a valid warrant based on probable cause before conducting geofence searches. The decision in Chatrie v. United States, written by Justice Elena Kagan, affirmed that users have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their cellphone location data and that the Fourth Amendment limits the government’s ability to access such tracking data from tech companies. Geofencing is often used in cases with no clear suspects: police draw a shape on a map around a crime scene, specify a time window, and request data from tech companies about connected devices in that area. The Court held that the third-party doctrine does not apply because users do not voluntarily share their private information with companies like Google. The ruling does not outright ban geofencing but requires police to have probable cause about a specific suspect and obtain a traditional search warrant for more narrowly targeted data. The case involved Okello T. Chatrie, arrested in 2019 after police used a geofencing warrant to link him to a bank robbery. Privacy experts celebrated the decision; Alan Butler of EPIC called it a recognition that warrantless geofence searches are incompatible with the Fourth Amendment. The case now returns to a lower appellate court to determine whether there was probable cause for the original geofencing warrant.

Supreme Court Supports Privacy Protections for Cellphone Location Data →

Google Warns EU Privacy Risks in Proposed DMA Regulations

The European Commission plans to announce new regulations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) next month, requiring Google to allow Android users to integrate AI models other than Gemini with system-level access and to share anonymized search data with competitors at an unprecedented level of granularity. Google’s VP of security engineering, Heather Adkins, told Wired that if implemented as described, the changes could lead to a significant increase in fraud in the EU within weeks. Google’s internal security teams have demonstrated that such anonymized search data can be de-anonymized and linked to individual users in as little as two hours using linkage attacks. Adkins emphasized that anonymization is hard and requires the right technical experts. Google has openly opposed the DMA and called for it to be reworked. The comment period ended on May 1, and the European Commission is determining how to enforce the new rules. A final decision is expected on July 27, which will be legally binding for Google.

Google warns EU’s plans to weaken its monopoly could expose user data →