WhatsApp submits reply to government notice on username feature; response uder review

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jul 10, 2026: Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its response to the Centre’s notice regarding its proposed "username" feature, and the government is currently examining the reply, sources said on Thursday.

The Centre had issued a notice to Meta last week, expressing concerns that the feature could lead to an increase in online fraud, phishing attempts, digital-arrest scams and impersonation attacks.

The proposed feature would allow users to communicate on WhatsApp without sharing their phone numbers. The government had directed the company not to roll out the feature in India until consultations were completed to its satisfaction.

WhatsApp had subsequently sought additional time to respond and assured the government that the feature would not be launched in the country until discussions were concluded.

According to sources, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has received WhatsApp’s reply and is reviewing it. However, there has been no official statement from the company regarding the submission.

Earlier in the day, IT Secretary S. Krishnan said WhatsApp’s response was due on Thursday. On notices sent to other messaging platforms, including Telegram and Signal, regarding their existing username features, Krishnan said the government had not yet received their replies and would examine the matter once the responses were submitted.

A team from Meta met IT Ministry officials last Friday following the notice.

In its notice, the government asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules over WhatsApp’s proposed feature, which it believes could heighten cybercrime risks. It also reminded the company of its due diligence obligations as a significant social media intermediary.

A WhatsApp spokesperson had earlier clarified that the username feature is not yet live and will be rolled out gradually later this year.

The company said it has built multiple safeguards to prevent impersonation and fraud, including reserving usernames of public figures, government entities, celebrities and verified Meta accounts so they can only be claimed by legitimate owners.

WhatsApp also said users will still need a phone number to create and use an account. Additional safeguards include limiting the number of new people an account can contact, blocking repeated attempts to guess usernames and using systems to detect and remove suspicious activity.

The platform said users will also be shown contextual information about first-time senders, such as whether the sender is a new account, a contact, a mutual group member or based in another country, helping users decide whether to respond.

After issuing the notice to WhatsApp, the government also sent notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking details on how their existing username features address fraud and impersonation risks.

The developments come amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of major technology platforms. Recently, the government also issued a notice to Meta over child sexual abuse material appearing in Instagram advertisements and directed Telegram to curb the widespread sharing of pirated films, OTT content and other audiovisual material on its platform.