Two days after WhatsApp introduced ‘Username’ – a feature that would allow users to create a unique handle instead of sharing their phone numbers – the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to the messaging platform directing it to provide a detailed explanation of the feature within three days, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
The ministry also directed WhatsApp not to roll out the feature “until this point is consulted to the satisfaction of the government.”
HT has reviewed a copy of the notice.
Read also | How does the new username feature work in WhatsApp? Here’s how to chat without a phone number
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WhatsApp announced the new feature on Monday, saying it would give people the option to go to usernames instead of phone numbers, addressing a privacy blind spot. It has already started allowing users to reserve unique usernames, which can be used to contact WhatsApp users when the feature launches later this year.
The notice issued by MeitY said that there is a fear that the feature may significantly increase cases of online fraud, phishing, digital arrests and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to lure and message victims.
“Furthermore, this feature may facilitate impersonation and impersonation, including the impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions, and government agencies, by allowing the adoption of usernames that closely resemble the names of real people or organizations,” she added.
Separately, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, has raised concerns on how this will affect the SIM linking directive which stipulates that messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Arattai and Snapchat link user accounts to physical SIM cards in order to prevent cyber fraud and enhance user traceability.
“The biggest problem is that [usernames] It will make it difficult for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to determine whether the perpetrator of a crime is an Indian or not. Tomorrow, anyone can create a WhatsApp account with a +1 number [US]put NIA chief’s face and create similar username and make scam calls. With a number starting with +91, we were able to take some action. “If the number is not available, no solution is possible,” said a DoT official who requested anonymity.
Web-based versions are logged off periodically
The directive also stipulates that web-based versions of these applications must be logged out periodically, at least once every six hours, with users required to re-authenticate, usually through a QR code, to continue access.
The DoT official also noted the time for WhatsApp’s dissolution, adding that it takes a minimum of five days and a maximum of an unspecified period of time for the messaging platform to return to LEAs. They added that today’s Whatsapp does not provide data instantly, which makes things more complicated.
However, Meta clarified that the newer feature will not affect DoT directives.
Read also: How does the new username feature work in WhatsApp? Here’s how to chat without a phone number
The latest feature will not affect SIM linking routing at all, a Meta executive told HT on condition of anonymity.
“Usernames do not replace your phone number on WhatsApp – you will need your phone number to register and use the service. Usernames are an additional privacy feature that enables you to communicate with someone on WhatsApp without revealing your phone number,” a Meta spokesperson said, adding that a person’s phone number can be traced through a username, thus ensuring accountability.
However, a senior Delhi Police cybercrime official said WhatsApp’s move will make it difficult to narrow down criminals as there will be anonymity. The official added that WhatsApp follows in the footsteps of Telegram and Signal as they have usernames.
The usernames feature will be rolled out gradually later this year including in India.
WhatsApp said in a post on its blog: “With more than three billion people on WhatsApp, a lot of names overlap, which is why we are opening reservations early so that everyone has the opportunity to choose the username that interests them.”
In response to concerns expressed in New Delhi, a WhatApp spokesperson said the ability to use the new feature is not yet live and will be rolled out slowly later this year. The spokesperson also confirmed that Meta has built several layers of defenses against scams into the WhatsApp username feature.
“To protect against impersonation, we have kept high-profile names – such as public figures, government bodies, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts – so they can only be claimed by their rightful owners, and similar derivatives of well-known names are also kept,” the spokesperson said.
“Users still need a phone number to use WhatsApp, and we’ve built in multiple layers of defense against username scams: other users need to know your exact username to message you, we’ll limit the number of new people an account can contact, we block repeated attempts to guess someone’s username key, and we have systems in place to detect and remove activity that displays common impersonation and abuse patterns. When the feature becomes available and someone messages you for the first time via your username, we’ll show you if it’s a new account, if they’re “Your contact, if you have shared groups, and if they live in a different country, you can decide whether to respond.”
