Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its reply to the Indian government's notice on the proposed 'username' feature, and the response is now being examined, according to sources on Thursday. The development follows a notice from the Centre last Wednesday that flagged concerns that the feature could materially increase incidents of online fraud, phishing, digital-arrest scams and impersonation attacks.
The Regulatory Notice
The Centre issued a notice to Meta last Wednesday questioning the username feature, which allows users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers. The government directed the platform not to launch the feature until consultations were completed 'to the satisfaction of the government.' Subsequently, WhatsApp sought additional time to submit its response and assured the government that it would not roll out the feature in India until discussions were complete.
Sources told PTI that WhatsApp's reply has been received by the information technology ministry, and the government is examining it. There has been no official word from WhatsApp on the submission made to the IT ministry on Thursday. Earlier in the day, IT Secretary S Krishnan, speaking on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit, confirmed that WhatsApp's reply was due on Thursday. When asked about notices sent to Telegram and Signal on their existing username features, Krishnan said, 'There is still a little more time, so the replies have not yet been received.... We will examine this issue.'
Details of the Username Feature
WhatsApp has stated that the username feature is not yet live and will be rolled out slowly later this year. The company emphasised that users still require a phone number to use WhatsApp. To mitigate impersonation risks, WhatsApp has 'held the highest-profile names -- think public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts -- so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners, and lookalike derivatives of known names are held as well,' a spokesperson said.
The company also detailed multiple layers of defence: users need to know the exact username to message an account; WhatsApp will limit how many new people an account can contact; block repeated attempts to guess someone's username key; and deploy systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns. Additionally, when the feature becomes available, WhatsApp will show a first-time sender's details -- whether they are a new account, a contact, a mutual group member, or from another country -- before users respond.
Government's Concerns and WhatsApp's Defense
In the notice, the government asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the IT Act and rules over the username feature, reminding Meta that as a significant social-media intermediary, it is bound by due-diligence obligations. A team from Meta met IT ministry officials last Friday following the notice.
WhatsApp's defence centres on its proactive safeguards. The company argued that the username feature itself provides an extra layer of privacy and that its built-in protections will curb misuse. The government, however, remains concerned about the potential for increased cybercrime, especially given WhatsApp's massive user base in India.
Broader Crackdown on Messaging Platforms
The notice to WhatsApp was part of a wider regulatory push. After sending the WhatsApp notice, the IT ministry also sent notices to Telegram and Signal, questioning their existing username features and asking how they address fraud and impersonation risks. While WhatsApp has 50 crore users in India, Telegram's reach is a fraction of that, according to sources.
| Platform | Users in India | Username Feature | Notice Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 crore | Not yet launched; reply submitted | Reply received, under examination | |
| Telegram | Fraction of WhatsApp | Existing feature | Reply not yet submitted |
| Signal | Not disclosed | Existing feature | Reply not yet submitted |
Over the past few days, Meta and Telegram have also faced regulatory scrutiny on other issues. The government issued a stern notice to Meta on child-sexual-abuse material in Instagram ads on Saturday, and Telegram was served a notice to crack down on the 'widespread dissemination' of such content. These actions signal a tightening regulatory environment for messaging platforms in India, with the government demanding stricter compliance with the IT Act.
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