India asks Meta to delay WhatsApp username feature

NEW DELHI: India has asked Meta to postpone the rollout of WhatsApp’s planned username feature, raising concerns that the change could increase fraud and impersonation risks as the country deals with a rise in cybercrime.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, said on Monday that users around the world would soon be able to connect through unique usernames rather than sharing their phone numbers. The company said the upcoming tool was intended to improve privacy. However, Indian authorities said on Wednesday that the feature could also make it easier for scammers to approach potential victims.

According to a letter sent by India’s information technology ministry to Meta, the feature could contribute to more cases of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, the Indian Express reported. The newspaper also said the ministry had asked Meta not to introduce the feature until consultations on the matter are completed.

A government official quoted by the English-language daily said the proposed system could create confusion for less tech-aware users. “There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames... and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not. For those who may not be technologically aware to make out the difference, it could be a huge challenge.”

Meta said the feature had not yet gone live in India. In a statement, the company said it had already reserved usernames for public figures and verified accounts to reduce the risk of impersonation. “To protect against impersonation, we’ve held the highest-profile names... so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners,” the statement read.

Meta also said that a phone number would still be required to use WhatsApp and that the platform had put in place several safeguards against scams linked to usernames. “Users still require a phone number to use WhatsApp and we’ve built multiple layers of defence against scams into usernames.”

The development comes a month after Meta appointed Indian fintech entrepreneur Kunal Shah as WhatsApp’s new head.