WhatsApp Username Feature: Meta Responds to Centre's Notice Over Fraud, Scam Concerns
Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its formal response to the Central Government's notice regarding its proposed "username" feature. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is currently examining the reply.
Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its formal response to the Central Government's notice regarding its proposed "username" feature. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is currently examining the reply. The government had previously flagged concerns that the new feature could significantly elevate the risk of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks across the country.
Government Evaluates Cyber Fraud Concerns
The central government issued a notice to Meta following apprehensions that allowing users to communicate via unique usernames instead of phone numbers could mask identities and facilitate cybercrime. In response, WhatsApp assured the government that it will hold the rollout of the feature in India until all official consultations are completed. WhatsApp Username Feature Paused in India After Government Concerns.
IT Secretary S Krishnan confirmed that WhatsApp's response arrived on the scheduled deadline. When asked if competitive messaging platforms Signal and Telegram had replied to similar notices concerning their own username features, Krishnan noted that their deadlines have not yet passed, and those responses will be examined once received.
Security Measures Outlined by WhatsApp
A spokesperson for WhatsApp stated that the username feature is not yet live and will be introduced gradually later this year. To prevent bad actors from exploiting the system, the platform has pre-emptively reserved the usernames of public figures, government entities, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts. Additionally, lookalike variations of well-known names have been blocked to mitigate impersonation risks.
The company emphasized that phone numbers will still be mandatory to create and register an account. Furthermore, WhatsApp plans to implement restrictive security systems, including limits on how many new accounts a user can contact, blocking repeated attempts to guess usernames, and deploying algorithms to detect automated abuse patterns. WhatsApp Username Reservations Now Open, Here Is How To Claim Yours.
Contextual Warnings and Broader Regulatory Scrutiny
To assist users in identifying potential fraud, WhatsApp plans to provide additional context when an individual receives a message from an unfamiliar username. The interface will display indicators showing whether the sender is a new account, an existing contact, a mutual group member, or an account based outside India.
This regulatory encounter comes amid a wider crackdown by Indian authorities on major digital platforms. MeitY recently issued a separate notice to Meta over child sexual abuse material linked to Instagram advertisements. Concurrently, Telegram was served a notice demanding stricter actions to curb the unauthorized dissemination of pirated audio-visual content on its platform.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2026 08:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
