WhatsApp on Monday assured the government that it will not introduce its proposed username feature in India until ongoing consultations with the authorities are completed, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.
The Meta-owned messaging platform has also received an additional three days to respond to a government notice seeking clarification on the feature, the report said. The original deadline for submitting its reply ended on Friday.
The development follows a notice issued by the Centre last week, in which it raised concerns that the username feature could increase risks related to online fraud, phishing attempts, impersonation and so-called digital arrest scams. The government had asked WhatsApp to keep the feature on hold until discussions conclude to its satisfaction.
The proposed feature would allow users to communicate on WhatsApp without sharing their phone numbers. Users would instead be able to connect through unique usernames, similar to systems already available on platforms such as Telegram and Signal. WhatsApp has already opened username reservations globally ahead of the feature’s wider rollout planned later this year.
Following the notice, a Meta delegation met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday to discuss the issue.
According to earlier reports, concerns around the feature were first raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and subsequently taken up by MeitY, which sought a detailed explanation from the company.
In its communication, the government sought an explanation from Meta on why action should not be considered under the provisions of the Information Technology Act and related rules over a feature that authorities believe could create new avenues for cybercrime. It also reminded the company of its due diligence obligations as a significant social media intermediary.
WhatsApp cites safeguards against impersonation
Last week, a WhatsApp spokesperson said the username feature is not yet available and will be introduced gradually later this year.
“To protect against impersonation, we’ve held the highest-profile names — think public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts — so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners, and lookalike derivatives of known names are held as well,” the spokesperson told PTI.
The company said users will still need a phone number to create and use a WhatsApp account, adding that multiple safeguards have been built into the username system.
“Other users need to know the exact username to message you. We will limit how many new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone’s username key, and have systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying by PTI.
WhatsApp also said users will receive additional context when contacted for the first time through a username.
“When the feature becomes available, and someone sends a message for the first time via your username, we will show you if they’re a new account, if they’re your contact, if you have groups in common, and if they’re based in a different country, so you can decide whether to respond,” the company said, as reported by PTI.
Telegram and Signal also receive notices
After issuing the notice to Meta, the IT Ministry also sent notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking details on how their existing username-based systems address concerns related to fraud and impersonation.
On Friday, the government issued a notice to Meta over child sexual abuse material appearing in Instagram advertisements, while Telegram received directions to curb the circulation of pirated films, OTT content and other audio-visual material through its platform.
(With inputs from agencies)
