WhatsApp username rollout put on hold after govt notice

Tech giant Meta has told the Indian government that it will not launch WhatsApp's unique username feature in the country until detailed consultations are over and all concerns are addressed, people aware of the development said.

Telegram has also submitted its response to the government that last week issued formal notices to the messaging platforms, directing them to immediately halt the rollout of the username feature. These platforms currently rely on mobile phone numbers for user identification.

In its response to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) late on Thursday, Meta said it remains committed to abiding by all existing laws on preventing cybercrimes, the people told ET.


In its notices, the Centre had cited concerns over cyber fraud, impersonation and identity theft, and cautioned that replacing mobile numbers with user IDs could lead to an increase in digital arrest scams, phishing and fake profiles masquerading as public figures or government entities.

Contents of Telegram's submission are not known. Officials said they are studying the responses.

A similar notice had been sent to Signal as well. It is unclear whether it has submitted a response.

In its latest response, Meta told MeitY that the username feature is planned to be released globally by the end of the year.

As of Friday press time, the instant messaging platform has not halted the process of Indian users reserving unique usernames, sources said. Users continue to be prompted with an option to choose their username, as well as see and edit their chosen username. Sources pointed out the usernames selected so far have not been officially allotted by the company, given the feature has not gone live.

Meta did not respond to an email seeking comment.

WhatsApp had announced the optional feature last month, opening early username reservations globally on June 29. MeitY subsequently issued a notice directing Meta to put the India roll out on hold pending a risk assessment. It also asked the company to submit a response within five days, later extending the deadline by three more days.