Facebook\u2019s VP of Messaging Products, David Marcus, expects mobile phone numbers to become less important in the future.<\/p>\n
Mobile numbers have been the preferred unique identifier for people since the launch of mobile phones.<\/p>\n
However, with the advent of social media, a battle for\u00a0control of the way people connect to each other is underway.<\/p>\n
A person\u2019s Facebook account, for example, can easily replace their mobile number as the best way to connect to them.<\/p>\n
Marcus said that<\/strong><\/a> old communication styles, like making voice calls and sending an SMS to a mobile number, are disappearing with older feature phones.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Facebook Messenger, we offer all the things that made texting so popular, but also so much more,\u201d said Marcus.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you can send text messages, but you can also send stickers, photos, videos, voice clips, GIFs, your location, and money to people.\u201d<\/p>\n He said you can make video and voice calls without needing to know someone\u2019s phone number.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need to have a Facebook account to use Messenger anymore, and it\u2019s also a cross platform experience \u2013 so you can pick up where you left off whether you\u2019re on a desktop computer, a tablet, or your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n WhatsApp may face regulation in South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on Facebook and WhatsApp<\/h3>\n