The Indian government has expressed concerns over WhatsApp’s upcoming username feature, which lets users communicate without revealing phone numbers. A senior official stated on Wednesday that authorities worry about risks of spam and impersonation. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued a notice directing WhatsApp to pause the rollout temporarily.
The notice states the feature could raise cases of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation by allowing malicious actors to contact victims more easily. It requires WhatsApp to provide a detailed response within three days and to refrain from launching the feature until further consultations occur.
Similar username options exist on platforms like Telegram and Signal. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, described the change as a way for users to chat without sharing personal contact details. A company spokesperson confirmed the feature is not yet active and will launch gradually later this year. Protections include reserving high-profile names for verified owners and showing users the country of origin for unknown accounts.
The move follows the government’s recent ban on Telegram, partly due to concerns over obscured phone numbers. WhatsApp, with more than 800 million users in India, has faced increasing regulatory pressure, including orders on SIM verification and session limits.
