A new rumor suggests that WhatsApp could soon be strengthening its identity verification requirements for those using WhatsApp Pay. The WhatsApp Pay service is popular in India and Brazil, though neither country currently asks users to upload any identity documents when sending and receiving money. The Indian version only checks to make sure that the user’s WhatsApp phone number matches the number associated with that person’s bank account, while the Brazilian version goes through Facebook to link an account to a debit or credit card.
However, eagle-eyed analysts have spotted a few telling lines of code in the beta for WhatsApp version 2.21.22.6 that detail a possible new identity verification requirement. If it were to be implemented, Indian and Brazilian WhatsApp Pay users would need to submit proof of identity before using the platform to initiate and complete financial transactions.
A WhatsApp India spokesperson stressed that the Indian service does not ask the user to submit any identity documents, stating that the phone match is sufficient at the moment. There is also no guarantee that code that appears in a beta will make it to the final version of a piece of software.
That’s not to say that identity checks couldn’t make their way into a future version of the Indian and Brazilian apps. For its part, XDA Developers has speculated that WhatsApp could be planning to launch WhatsApp Pay in new jurisdictions with stronger identity verification laws. If that proves to be the case, identity checks could be required for WhatsApp users in those other countries, while Indian and Brazilian users continue to enjoy their legacy versions of the service.
That could change if India and Brazil pass their own fraud prevention laws, or if WhatsApp rolls out a digital wallet utility. Identity checks are now standard for people signing up for banking apps and other financial services, while WhatsApp has recently enabled fingerprint authentication for those using desktop and Android devices.
Source: XDA Developers
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