India asks WhatsApp to pause username feature rollout over fraud concerns
India's government has asked WhatsApp to pause the rollout of its new username feature, citing concerns it could be exploited for fraud and spam. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology warned that the feature could enable impersonation and scams. WhatsApp has been urged to conduct a security review before proceeding.
Background
- WhatsApp (owned by Meta, Facebook's parent) is testing a username feature so users can message others without sharing their phone number — similar to Telegram or Signal.
- India's IT Ministry asked WhatsApp to pause the rollout, citing concerns that the anonymity could make it easier for scammers to operate and harder for law enforcement to trace them.
- India is WhatsApp's biggest market (over 500 million users) and is also where the platform is used for everything from family chats to political campaigning to spreading misinformation.
- Indian authorities have for years pressured WhatsApp to break end-to-end encryption and allow message tracing — demands WhatsApp has resisted globally. The username issue is a new front in that ongoing tension.