WhatsApp's Username Feature Faces Government Scrutiny: What You Need to Know
WhatsApp's Username Feature Under Review
New Delhi: WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has been granted an extension to respond to the government's concerns regarding its proposed 'username' feature. The platform has assured officials that it will not implement this feature in India until discussions are finalized.
The messaging service has received an additional three days to reply to a government notice regarding this controversial feature, which allows users to communicate without disclosing their phone numbers.
Last week, the government issued a notice to Meta, expressing concerns that the username feature could lead to increased online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks.
The government has instructed WhatsApp to halt the feature's rollout until consultations are satisfactorily completed.
Sources indicate that WhatsApp has been given until the end of the week to submit its response to the IT Ministry, extending the original deadline.
WhatsApp has also committed to not launching the feature until discussions are concluded.
A Meta team met with IT Ministry officials last Friday following the notice.
The notice requested Meta to clarify why actions should not be taken under the IT Act regarding the potential for increased cybercrime due to the new feature.
The government reminded Meta that, as a major social media intermediary, WhatsApp must adhere to due diligence requirements under the IT Act.
An email inquiry sent to WhatsApp did not receive an immediate response.
A spokesperson for WhatsApp stated that the username feature is not yet active and will be gradually introduced later this year.
"To prevent impersonation, we have reserved usernames for high-profile individuals, including public figures and verified accounts, ensuring they can only be claimed by their rightful owners," the spokesperson explained.
Users will still need a phone number to access WhatsApp, and the company has implemented several protective measures against scams related to usernames.
"Other users must know the exact username to initiate contact. We will restrict how many new users an account can reach out to and block repeated attempts to guess usernames, along with systems to identify and eliminate impersonation and abuse patterns," WhatsApp stated.
The platform will indicate whether a first-time sender is a new account, a contact, a mutual group member, or from another country before users decide to respond.
"When the feature is available, if someone messages you for the first time using your username, we will inform you if they are a new account, a contact, share group memberships, or are located in a different country, allowing you to choose whether to reply," WhatsApp added.
Following the notice to WhatsApp, the IT Ministry also reached out to Telegram and Signal, questioning their existing 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.
In recent days, both Meta and Telegram have faced regulatory scrutiny on various issues.
The government issued a serious notice to Meta regarding child sexual abuse material in Instagram ads, while Telegram was directed to address the widespread sharing of pirated films and other content on its platform.