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Meta-owned WhatsApp has been granted additional time from the Indian government to respond to concerns over its proposed username feature. The company has also assured the Centre that it will not launch the feature in India until ongoing consultations with authorities are complete. The latest development comes as the government intensifies scrutiny of digital platforms over rising online fraud and impersonation risks.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to WhatsApp on July 1, directing the company to explain its upcoming username-based messaging feature. The government also asked the messaging platform to pause the rollout until consultations were completed.
The Centre granted Meta a three-day extension to file its reply after Meta requested more time. Top company officials have since met with government officials to discuss the proposed feature and the safeguards the company will implement in India.
Even though the move is aimed at enhancing user privacy, Indian officials are concerned that anonymous usernames could make it harder to identify fraudsters. Officials have warned that anonymous usernames may increase phishing attacks, impersonation scams and ‘digital arrest’ frauds. The government has also reminded WhatsApp that it must comply with due diligence requirements under India's Information Technology Rules.
The government's inquiry into WhatsApp does not end here. MeitY has made inquiries to Telegram and Signal about their messaging protocols via usernames and how they ensure that there is no fraud or impersonation. Meta has also outlined several safeguards. These include:
Setting aside usernames for verified personalities and government institutions
Prohibiting fraudulent lookalike usernames
Restricting unwanted messages.
In addition, users would be required to know the specific username of the individual they want to contact, and suspicious behavior would be monitored by automated tools. The result of such consultations could influence future regulations regarding messaging apps in India, where privacy-enabled features have been on the rise.
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