Overview
- Russian users report new in‑app notices urging them to add a verified email, with an orange exclamation icon and a warning not to risk being blocked.
- WhatsApp states that a confirmed email provides an extra security layer and guarantees account recovery without SMS or phone calls.
- The notifications became widespread on November 13 after initial appearances in early November, according to user reports cited by RIA Novosti.
- Before this change, accounts could be accessed using a phone number or a QR code, making email a third sign‑in and recovery method.
- A Russian lawmaker, Anton Nemkin, criticized the move as a data‑leak risk and framed it as an attempt to retain users under local restrictions on Meta.