WhatsApp responds to Centre's notice on username feature; government reviewing reply before rollout

WhatsApp's proposed username feature has moved into the next phase of regulatory scrutiny in India, with the Centre now reviewing the messaging platform's response to a government notice that questioned the safety of the upcoming feature.

According to sources cited by PTI, the Meta-owned platform submitted its reply to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday. The response is now being examined by officials before any decision is taken on whether the feature can be introduced in the country.

The development comes after the government asked WhatsApp not to launch usernames in India until consultations with authorities were completed. Officials had expressed concern that replacing or supplementing phone numbers with usernames could create fresh opportunities for scammers to impersonate users, carry out phishing attacks and facilitate so-called digital arrest frauds.

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WhatsApp has not publicly commented on the contents of the response submitted to the ministry.

Government weighs fraud risks linked to usernames

The Centre first raised objections last week, when it issued a notice asking Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and the rules governing digital intermediaries.

The government argued that the proposed feature, if introduced without sufficient safeguards, could make it easier for cybercriminals to impersonate individuals and organisations. As a significant social media intermediary under Indian law, WhatsApp is expected to comply with due diligence obligations designed to protect users from online harm.

Following the notice, WhatsApp requested additional time to prepare its response and assured the government that the username feature would not be rolled out in India until discussions with officials were concluded.

Earlier on Thursday, Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan confirmed that WhatsApp's response was expected that day. Speaking on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit, he also said similar notices sent to Telegram and Signal had yet to receive replies, adding that the government would examine the issue once those responses arrived.

Meta representatives had already met officials from the IT Ministry last Friday after being summoned over the proposed rollout.

WhatsApp outlines safeguards against impersonation

While the feature has not yet been launched, WhatsApp has previously outlined several measures that it says are intended to reduce the risk of misuse.

The company has said usernames will be introduced gradually later this year and that users will still require a phone number to register and use WhatsApp.

To prevent impersonation, the platform said it has reserved usernames associated with public figures, government agencies, celebrities and verified Meta accounts so that only legitimate owners can claim them. It has also blocked lookalike variations that could otherwise be used to deceive users.

WhatsApp has further stated that simply knowing a person's display name will not be enough to initiate contact. Users would need to know the exact username, while limits on messaging new accounts, restrictions on repeated attempts to guess usernames and automated systems designed to detect suspicious behaviour would serve as additional layers of protection.

The company has also proposed giving users more context before they respond to messages received through usernames for the first time. According to WhatsApp, recipients will be shown information such as whether the sender is already in their contacts, whether they share any groups, whether the account is newly created and whether it originates from another country.

Those safeguards are now likely to form a key part of the government's assessment.

The outcome will be closely watched because India is WhatsApp's largest market, with around 500 million users. Any decision by the Centre could also influence how other messaging platforms offering username-based communication, including Telegram and Signal, are expected to address concerns around identity verification, impersonation and online fraud.