Indian government warns Meta against rolling out WhatsApp username feature: Report

The Indian government on Wednesday sent a notice to US tech company Meta, asking it not to roll out WhatsApp's new username feature in India, the Press Trust of India reported, citing sources.

Authorities requested that Meta provide a detailed explanation of the feature within three days and directed the company not to launch it until consultations on the issue are completed.

According to the report, officials warned that the feature could increase the risk of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks on the messaging platform.

The government also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated against WhatsApp under India's Information Technology Act and related rules over a feature that authorities believe could facilitate cybercrime.

The new feature will allow WhatsApp users to connect using usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers.

The feature, which will be introduced gradually over the coming months, enables users to reserve a unique username through the WhatsApp mobile app. Once activated, users will be able to exchange usernames instead of phone numbers when starting conversations.

The company said it is also introducing measures to prevent impersonation.

The messaging platform has more than 3 billion users worldwide.