The Centre has issued a notice to Meta over the rollout of WhatsApp’s new username feature in India, directing the company to submit a detailed explanation within three days and refrain from introducing the feature until consultations with the government are completed.
According to sources, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) took note of WhatsApp’s public announcement regarding the phased global rollout of the username feature, which also includes India.
Under the new feature, users will have the option to create a unique username, allowing first-time contacts to communicate without seeing their phone numbers. WhatsApp has said the username will serve as an additional privacy control for users.
However, government sources said the proposed feature has raised concerns over its potential misuse in facilitating online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks.
Officials are also apprehensive that the feature could make identity spoofing easier, enabling fraudsters to conceal their phone numbers while posing as legitimate individuals or organisations.
In view of these concerns, the Ministry has asked Meta to provide a comprehensive explanation of the feature, including the safeguards built into the system to prevent misuse.
Sources said the government has also directed Meta not to roll out the username feature in India until discussions with the Ministry are completed and the concerns raised by the authorities are addressed.
The development comes amid growing efforts by the government to strengthen digital safety and curb the rising number of cyber frauds and online scams targeting Indian users.
Meta has not yet issued an official response to the government’s notice.
