🧐 Bye bye phone numbers? WhatsApp unveils usernames to boost user privacy   Users can start reserving their usernames from Monday, before it is set to come into use later this year. Usernames can be removed or changed at any point in time.   READ: https://asia1.news/4as0SHM   Follow @AsiaOnecom for all the latest updates.   Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has officially announced a massive shift in user privacy: the introduction of **optional usernames**. This change allows its three billion users to connect and chat without needing to share their personal phone numbers.   ### The Big Picture: What's Changing?   For years, WhatsApp has relied strictly on phone numbers as primary identifiers. The new update shifts the app toward a hybrid system.   When you message a new person, business, or join a community group for the first time, **they will only see your username (e.g., @YourName) instead of your phone number**, provided you have enabled the feature.   ### Key Details of the Rollout    * **Early Reservations:** Because of the platform's massive user base, WhatsApp opened **username reservations** at the end of June 2026. This allows users to claim their handles early before the feature fully activates.    * **Gradual Implementation:** The actual ability to *chat* using these usernames will roll out progressively across different countries later this year.    * **Always Optional:** The feature is entirely optional. You still register your WhatsApp account using a phone number, and you can choose whether or not to adopt or hide behind a username.    * **Flexible Controls:** You can change or completely remove your username at any point. (Note: If you delete a username, it immediately goes back into the public pool for others to claim).   ### Built-In Privacy & Security Measures   Unlike platforms like X (Twitter) or Instagram, WhatsApp is treating usernames purely as private contact markers rather than public profiles:    1. **No Public Directory:** There will be **no public directory to browse** and no automated user suggestions. A person must know your *exact* username to find or message you for the first time.    2. **Optional "Username Key":** To prevent spam, WhatsApp is building an optional secondary "key" or PIN. Even if someone guesses your username, they will need to know this key to successfully send you a first-time message.    3. **Anti-Impersonation Limits:** Handles are capped at 35 characters. To prevent bad actors from scamming others, usernames belonging to high-profile officials, brands, and celebrities are being restricted and reserved by Meta.    4. **Meta Integration:** Creators and businesses can easily sync and claim their existing Instagram or Facebook handles to maintain a consistent identity across apps.   ### How to Reserve Your Username Right Now   If the update has reached your account region, you can claim your handle in just a few seconds:  1. Update WhatsApp to the absolute latest version via your app store.    2. Open the app and navigate to **Settings**.    3. Tap on **Account**, then look for the **Username** option.    4. Enter your preferred handle. If it’s taken, the app features an integrated generator to suggest available alternatives.  

https://sg.shp.ee/ahmBQWY7   Another mm

Singpass introduces passkeys for more secure login; only for iPhone users starting July 1   Unlike passwords or OTPs, passkeys cannot be shared or transferred via the cloud, making them more resistant to scams.   READ: https://asia1.news/4eS6pJe   Follow @AsiaOnecom for all the latest updates.   The Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) announced the rollout of a new **passkey login** feature for Singpass. This upgrade introduces a highly phishing-resistant authentication method aimed at combatting increasingly sophisticated scams.   ### Key Details of the Rollout  * **Launch Date:** The feature goes live on **July 1, 2026, at 10:00 AM**.    * **Initial Phase (iOS Only):** The initial beta phase is exclusive to **iPhone (iOS) users** logging in via mobile browsers.    * **Future Phases:** Support for Android users and desktop browser logins (which will utilize Bluetooth proximity checks for cross-device verification) will be rolled out in subsequent stages.    * **Existing Methods Remain:**    Traditional login methods—such as QR code scanning, SMS One-Time Passwords (OTPs), and Face Verification—will remain available to ensure all users retain access to digital services.   ### How Singpass Passkeys Work   Passkeys replace traditional passwords with public-private key cryptography, completely eliminating the need to type in credentials or wait for an SMS code.    * **The "Two Halves" Concept:** GovTech describes the system as two halves of a special cryptographic key. The private half is securely stored on your phone, while the corresponding public half is registered with Singpass. A login is only authorized when the two halves perfectly match.    * **Device-Bound Security:**    Unlike commercial setups from companies like Google or Microsoft—which sync passkeys across devices via cloud infrastructure—Singpass passkeys are strictly **device-bound**. The key is tied purely to your physical smartphone and never leaves the device.    * **Protection Against Stolen Devices:**    If your phone is lost or stolen, your passkey and Singpass app configuration are automatically deactivated the moment you set up Singpass on a new device.   ### Why It's More Secure Against Scams   Because passkeys verify the connection directly between your device and the legitimate Singpass server, **they completely neutralize standard phishing tactics**. Even if a scammer tricks you into visiting a perfectly replicated fake Singpass website, a passkey login will fail to authenticate because the fake site won't possess the matching public key infrastructure. There are no typed passwords or intercepted OTPs for a malicious actor to steal.   ### How to Set It Up (For iPhone Users)  1. Update the Singpass app to its latest version via the Apple App Store.    2. Launch the app and tap the **"Create Passkey"** banner on the home screen.    3. Follow the on-screen prompts to link the passkey to your device.    4. Once enabled, you can log in by choosing the "Passkey" option on supported login pages and authenticating locally using Face ID, Touch ID, or your 6-digit Singpass app passcode.   *Note: Users who have app notifications enabled will receive a push notification natively when the feature becomes progressively available on their account.*  

Pinnacle at duston?

SINGAPORE – In order to enter Singapore to look for work, a woman used a fake name and passport. Using the assumed identity, she married a Singaporean man, who then sponsored her long-term visit passes from 2013 to 2018. Liu Xueyuan’s offences were discovered when Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers found a discrepancy in her travel documents when she tried to leave Singapore on Jan 16. The Chinese national, 66, was sentenced to three months and six weeks’ jail and fined $1,500 on May 15, after pleading guilty to four charges, including entering Singapore without a valid pass, and making false statements in a disembarkation form. On June 29, her husband, Singaporean Low Han Song, 68, was handed a five weeks’ jail sentence for making false statements in a long-term visit pass application. Liu had entered Singapore using passports bearing her real name and date of birth in 2005 and 2012. After she returned to China in 2012, she assumed a new identity and obtained a passport with the name “Yue Yinfang”, to find a job in Singapore. She was issued a passport with the fake name in November 2012. Liu returned to Singapore on July 5, 2013, and used the passport with the fake name for immigration clearance.   She declared on her disembarkation form that she had never used a passport under a different name to enter Singapore. The immigration officer at the airport, who did not know that the passport was fake, issued her a visit pass which was valid till August 2013. On July 26, 2013, Liu used the name “Yue Yinfang” to apply for an extension to her visit pass, which was approved on the same day. While in Singapore, she became acquainted with Low, who later proposed to her. He did not know that Liu had been using a fake name. The pair solemnised their marriage on Aug 30, 2013. As her spouse, Low sponsored Liu’s long-term visit passes from 2013 to 2018. Sometime between 2018 and 2019, the couple’s relationship began to sour, and Liu moved out of Low’s flat. They seldom contacted each other, until Liu needed Low to sponsor her long-term visit pass renewal in December 2020. On Dec 2, 2020, Liu and Low submitted a long-term visit pass application form on ICA’s platform, with Liu’s fake identity. They also falsely declared that they were still living together. Liu’s long-term visit pass was cancelled on Dec 19, 2025, and she was issued a short-term visit pass, which was valid till Jan 18. As she wanted to return to China, Liu went to the Chinese embassy in Singapore to apply for a travel document as her passport had expired. The embassy issued her a one-time travel document bearing her real name, which she presented at Changi Airport on Jan 16. That led to the discovery of her offences. For making a false statement to obtain entry into Singapore, an offender can be fined up to $4,000, jailed for up to 12 months, or both.