EW DELHI: The Central Government is examining legal provisions and possible clauses to initiate action against WhatsApp and Telegram after both platforms submitted their responses to notices issued over the proposed ‘username’ feature, sources said.
According to sources, the government is reviewing the replies and a formal notification is expected after the legal examination is completed.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had issued a notice to Meta seeking a detailed explanation of the proposed username feature on WhatsApp. The Centre also asked the company to keep the rollout of the feature in India on hold until consultations are completed, citing concerns over user privacy and safety.
Following the notice to Meta, the government also served a similar notice to Telegram as scrutiny over the feature intensified.
Sources said representatives of Meta met MeitY officials earlier this month to discuss the government’s concerns. During the meeting, officials raised issues related to privacy, user safety and the potential misuse of the feature.
The proposed username feature has drawn criticism from internet users and cybersecurity experts, who fear it could facilitate impersonation by allowing cybercriminals to create usernames resembling those of individuals, organisations or government officials, thereby increasing the risk of online fraud.
According to Meta, the username is an optional and unique identifier that users can choose for their WhatsApp accounts. Beginning with the “@” symbol, it enables users to receive messages and calls without sharing their phone numbers.
The company clarified that usernames are different from display names, which appear on user profiles and are not required to be unique. Usernames, however, are unique to each account.
Meta also said that users who do not have a person’s phone number saved will see the username by default in direct messages, calls and group chats. It added that certain usernames will be reserved for businesses, government entities and public figures to prevent unauthorised use.
