The government on Wednesday asked Meta to put on hold the rollout of WhatsApp’s proposed usernames feature in India and sought a detailed explanation from the company within three days, signalling heightened regulatory scrutiny of the privacy-focused feature, sources familiar with the matter said.
The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has issued a notice to Meta directing it not to roll out the feature until consultations with the government are completed. Officials are examining whether the move raises legal and regulatory issues, particularly around cybercrime investigations, impersonation, online fraud and intermediary obligations, sources said.
WhatsApp on Monday unveiled usernames as a new way for users to connect without sharing their mobile numbers. The feature, which is being rolled out globally in phases, is intended to enhance privacy by allowing users to communicate through unique handles instead of phone numbers.
Impersonation Concerns
According to sources, one of the government’s primary concerns is whether replacing phone numbers with usernames as the public-facing identity could complicate cybercrime investigations. At present, complaints involving WhatsApp accounts are typically linked to a mobile number, which serves as the first point of identification for law enforcement agencies.
Officials are also assessing whether the feature could become a fresh avenue for impersonation and phishing. Similar-looking usernames could potentially be used to mimic banks, government departments, companies or public figures, increasing the risk of financial fraud at a time when cybercrime through messaging platforms is on the rise.
Impact on Intermediary Obligations
The ministry is also examining whether existing intermediary obligations adequately address disputes over usernames, including the removal of fake or misleading handles and protection of trademarks and brand identities. The review is understood to focus on the operational impact of the feature rather than WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, which remains unchanged.
Sources said every WhatsApp account will continue to be linked internally to a verified mobile number, with usernames serving only as the public identity. Even so, officials are evaluating whether concealing phone numbers from users could affect the ease with which complaints are lodged and investigated.
The development comes amid the government’s broader push to tighten oversight of digital platforms and tackle the growing incidence of online financial fraud and cybercrime. The outcome of MeitY’s consultations could determine whether WhatsApp rolls out the feature in its current form or is required to introduce additional safeguards for users in India.
Meta’s Response
Responding to the latest development, a Meta spokesperson said, “We’ve announced the option for people to reserve their preferred username on WhatsApp. The ability to use a username is not yet live and will roll out slowly 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”.
Meta said that users still require a phone number to use WhatsApp and it has built multiple layers of defence against scams into usernames. For instance, other users need to know the exact username to message, it 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.
“When the feature becomes available and someone sends you 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 spokesperson added.