The Indian government has granted Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, a three-day extension to respond to concerns raised over the messaging platform's proposed 'username' feature, which allows users to connect with each other without sharing their phone numbers.

Government Concerns Over Username Feature

The IT Ministry had issued a notice to Meta last Wednesday, questioning the planned feature and flagging concerns that it could materially increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks. The government had directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout of the new feature until all consultations regarding the concerns raised are completed.

In response to the government's notice, a team from Meta met with officials in the IT Ministry last Friday. WhatsApp has assured the government that the new feature will not be rolled out in India until all discussions are complete. A WhatsApp spokesperson stated that the username feature is not live yet and will be rolled out slowly later this year, with multiple layers of defense built to protect users from scams.

Safety Measures and Next Steps

WhatsApp has stated that it will limit how many new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone's username, and have systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns. The company will also reflect whether a first-time sender is a new account, a contact, a mutual group member, or from another country before users respond.

The IT Ministry has also sent notices to other messaging platforms, including Telegram and Signal, questioning their existing username features and asking how they have been addressing concerns related to fraud and impersonation risks. The government's actions demonstrate its efforts to ensure online safety and security in India.

  • The username feature allows users to connect with each other without sharing phone numbers.
  • The government has raised concerns over potential cybercrime risks and impersonation threats.
  • WhatsApp has assured the government that the feature will not be rolled out in India until all discussions are complete.

The outcome of the government's consultations with Meta and other messaging platforms will be closely watched, as it may have implications for the future of online safety and security in India.