Telegram Responds to IT Ministry's Concerns Over Username Feature: What You Need to Know

Telegram's Response to Government Inquiry

New Delhi: Following WhatsApp's lead, Telegram has also provided its feedback to the IT Ministry regarding the 'username' feature, as reported by sources.

The government is currently reviewing the submissions from both messaging platforms, according to insider information.

This 'username' feature enables users to interact on these platforms without needing to disclose their phone numbers.

On Thursday evening, the government acknowledged receipt of WhatsApp's response to the notice concerning the 'username' feature, with Telegram's reply following shortly thereafter.

Details of the responses remain unclear, and neither company has issued an official statement.

Last Wednesday, the IT Ministry had sent a notice to WhatsApp, raising concerns about the potential for increased online fraud, phishing, digital scams, and impersonation attacks linked to the proposed username feature.

The government has instructed WhatsApp not to implement this feature until satisfactory consultations are completed.

WhatsApp has assured the government that it will refrain from launching the feature in India until discussions are finalized.

In addition to WhatsApp, the IT Ministry has also reached out to Telegram and Signal, questioning their current 'username' features and how they are addressing fraud and impersonation risks. While WhatsApp boasts 500 million users in India, Telegram's user base is significantly smaller.

Recently, both Meta and Telegram have come under regulatory scrutiny for various issues.

The government issued a serious notice to Meta regarding child sexual abuse material in Instagram advertisements, while Telegram was directed to take action against the rampant sharing of pirated films and other unauthorized content on its platform.