Zalo Reviews Accounts Linked to Recycled Phone Numbers, Partners with Viettel for Real-Time Updates

On June 18, Zalo announced that it is partnering with Viettel to implement a mechanism for reviewing accounts registered with recycled phone numbers — numbers that have been deactivated and subsequently reassigned to new subscribers. Viettel will supply Zalo with updated lists of discontinued subscriptions; Zalo will cross-reference its database and notify affected users to update their account information.

The recycled SIM card problem

A recycled SIM is a phone number previously assigned to one user and reissued to a different person. This creates two problems: the new holder may be unable to register new accounts because the system flags the number as already active; meanwhile, the former holder risks losing account control or having an unauthorized new subscriber access their account.

Le Thi Kim Xuyen, Zalo's Communications and Digital Transformation Director: "Through verification, new users cannot unlawfully access the former subscriber's account, protecting personal data and private content of the account owner."

18 million subscriptions at risk

The Telecommunications Department emphasized that phone numbers are national resources used for identification and must be strictly managed. As of mid-June, approximately 18 million subscriptions had not yet confirmed their status through VNeID and face potential deactivation. The timeline for extending the mechanism to telecom operators beyond Viettel has not been disclosed. (Source: VnExpress.)