The Indian government has issued a notice to Meta, halting the rollout of WhatsApp's new username feature in India amid concerns that it could significantly increase online fraud, phishing attacks and impersonation scams.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has directed the messaging platform to provide a detailed explanation of the feature within three days and refrain from launching it until consultations are completed.
The notice, addressed to WhatsApp's Chief Compliance Officer for India Operations, warns that the feature could enable bad actors to contact users without exposing their phone numbers, potentially allowing impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions and government agencies.
Authorities cited Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, which address identity theft and cheating by impersonation using computer resources.
The new feature, announced by Meta on 29 June, would allow WhatsApp's 500 million Indian users to communicate using unique usernames instead of sharing phone numbers.
Some users have already received alerts inviting them to reserve preferred usernames ahead of the broader rollout planned for later this year.
The username system, similar to features on Telegram and Signal, represents one of WhatsApp's most significant overhauls in its history.
Government sources have expressed particular concern about digital arrest scams and cybersecurity threats, especially following recent issues with examination paper leaks on Telegram.
A senior official indicated that authorities will examine legal mechanisms to potentially block the feature if required, stating that messaging platforms could be held accountable if their products enable digital fraud.
In response to the concerns, a Meta spokesperson stated that the company has reserved high-profile names for public figures, government entities and verified accounts to protect against impersonation.
WhatsApp has outlined multiple safeguards, including limiting how many new contacts an account can reach, blocking repeated username key guessing attempts, and displaying warnings when first-time senders are new accounts or based in different countries.
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