The Indian government has reportedly asked Meta to delay the rollout of WhatsApp's new username feature in the country over concerns that it could fuel online fraud and impersonation scams.
Earlier this week, WhatsApp announced that users worldwide would soon be able to connect using unique usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers, a feature the Meta-owned platform said was designed to improve user privacy.
However, Indian authorities fear the change could make it easier for criminals to impersonate trusted individuals and deceive unsuspecting users.
According to reports, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology wrote to Meta, requesting that the feature not be launched until further consultations are completed.
“There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not,” a senior government official was quoted as saying.
“For those who may not be technologically aware to make out the difference, it could be a huge challenge.”
India is WhatsApp's largest market, with more than 500 million users, making the government's concerns particularly significant.
Responding to the development, Meta said the username feature has not yet been launched in India and assured users that safeguards are already in place to reduce the risk of impersonation.
The company said usernames belonging to public figures and verified accounts have already been reserved to prevent them from being claimed by others.
“To protect against impersonation, we've held the highest-profile names so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners,” Meta said in a statement.
The company also noted that users will still be required to register with a valid phone number and that multiple security measures have been built into the username system to help combat scams.
The discussions between Meta and Indian authorities are expected to continue before any decision is made on the feature's rollout in the country.
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