Zalo reviews the account registered with the revoked phone number

On June 18, Zalo announced its coordination with Viettel to deploy this mechanism, in which the network operator will update the list of mobile subscribers that are no longer in use. The platform will review and compare accounts registered with that phone number, and send notifications to users to update the new number, “to ensure smooth service and compliance with legal regulations.”

Previously, many users reported trouble when buying a “return SIM” – a phone number that was recovered by the network from the previous owner and then resold. People who buy a new SIM may encounter a situation where their phone number is tied to a bank account, social network, or calling or texting application, making them unable to register and even being bothered by old contacts. Meanwhile, old users can also have their accounts compromised or their accounts used for bad things.

According to Ms. Le Thi Kim Xuyen, Director of Communications and Digital Transformation of Zalo, through authentication, new users cannot illegally access the account of the old subscriber owner, thereby protecting the personal data and private content of the person attached to the old account. This also contributes to improving the efficiency of subscription and account management in the digital environment, eliminating the problem of junk SIMs, virtual accounts, and profiteering from telecommunications and Internet infrastructure.

Zalo has not announced the start time of deployment, or coordination with networks other than Viettel.

In sharing with VnExpress In May, a representative of the Department of Telecommunications emphasized that phone numbers are a national resource and are also a tool used to identify numbers, through authenticating the owner’s SIM. However, protecting digital accounts based on phone numbers is the responsibility of the platforms. “If new users are not allowed to install and register, they will lose their subscriptions,” said the leader of the Department of Telecommunications.

The review of accounts related to Zalo’s revoked phone numbers comes in the context that network operators are verifying the owner’s SIM card with all subscribers. According to mid-June statistics, about 18 million subscribers who do not confirm their usage status on the VNeID application will be one-way locked, progressing to two-way locking and number revoked if they continue to follow regulations.