Just days after WhatsApp unveiled its username feature, the government has directed the messaging app not to go ahead with it till regulatory scrutiny of the privacy-focused feature is completed. Banasree Purkayastha explains what these security concerns are which officials want to examine
l What is the new username feature on WhatsApp?
STARTING THIS WEEK, WhatsApp has begun allowing subscribers to reserve usernames on its platform. The Meta-owned messaging app says this adds a new layer of privacy for its 3 billion-plus subscribers. “Usernames are our latest step to make WhatsApp even more private. There’s no directory to browse and no suggestions – people will need to know your exact username to contact you for the first time,” it said in a blog post.
Once WhatsApp launches user-names later this year, users will be found, contacted and publicly identified by their usernames and not their phone numbers, which is the default option now. When you message a person or business for the first time they will no longer see your phone number, if you enabled your username. People who have already saved your number on their contact list will continue to see the contact name they’ve saved for you and your phone number. This new feature is expected to be especially beneficial in group chats where you may not not want to share phone numbers with people you have never met.
l How can users create one?
TO CREATE A username, one has to go to Settings > Account > Username. Names will be limited to 35 characters and will be prefixed with the @ symbol. The username will be unique (unlike your display name) and cannot be a string of only numbers. Certain usernames are held for businesses, governments, or public figures to prevent impersonation and can’t be claimed by others.
You can change your username or delete it at any time. If you delete your username, people will be able to see your phone number again. To get additional control over who can contact you by your username, you can generate a username key. When you turn on a username key, people who haven’t messaged you before will need both your username and your key to contact you. You can also generate a QR code or link that directs people to your username.
Both Telegram and Signal have this hidden phone number feature.
l What it means for creators & businesses
SINCE ORGANISATIONS, SMALL businesses and creators with existing accounts on Meta’s social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, may want to maintain a consistent presence online, they will get the chance to claim their usernames on WhatsApp. However, in such cases they will need to link it to their existing accounts on the Meta Accounts Centre. That means some of the data will be shared across multiple Meta accounts, such as Threads and Messenger to personalise experiences, including serving more relevant content and advertisements.
Individuals too can claim the same username as their profile on one of these apps, but it needs to be added to the same Accounts Centre as their WhatsApp account.
l What it means for Meta & WhatsApp?
WHILE META HAS said it is introducing this feature to ensure added privacy for users, one does wonder how it benefits WhatsApp. Meta has found it difficult to monetise WhatsApp despite the latter’s huge user base. Usernames allow more flexibility than phone numbers do, and could be used to generate revenue at a later stage. By encouraging users to link their Instagram handles, Meta is indirectly creating an integrated database. In the case of group chats or communities led by a content creator it opens the door to data monetisation.
Again, since similar sounding names can lead to confusion, a verification badge for a fee — as in X — could be introduced. Business usernames could soon require a subscription fee. At the least, the username works as a sticky factor to keep users on the app and unable to switch to mobile calls or text even if the signal is patchy.
l What are the risks associated with this?
CRITICS SAY USERNAMES may be misused by scammers though WhatsApp has said certain usernames are reserved for businesses, governments, or public figures to prevent impersonation. Jasveer Singh, co-founder of KnotDating, claimed that the username could reduce accountability while protecting privacy. “The biggest reason I never used Telegram was because anyone could contact you without knowing your phone number.
It became a paradise for scammers,” he wrote on X. “Soon you will have verified username on WhatsApp, and then unverified similar-sounding usernames … which in turn…,” Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma posted. Finfluencer Ankur Warikoo pointed out that unless WhatsApp sets up proper anti-abuse systems, the new feature could allow impersonators to dupe people. “I have fought a legal case against Meta’s lack of attempt to bring down AI-generated images showing my face, luring people into investment WhatsApp groups,” he posted.
Sources say the government has taken cognisance of these apprehensions and has issued a notice to Meta on the username feature, asking it to furnish a detailed explanation within three days. Meta has been directed not to rollout the feature in India until consultation on the matter is completed.