The Central Government is examining legal provisions and possible actions against WhatsApp and Telegram following concerns over their proposed username feature, sources said.
The move comes after both messaging platforms submitted responses to notices issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The government is reviewing the replies and is expected to issue a formal communication after assessing the legal implications.
MeitY had earlier sent a notice to Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, seeking detailed information about the planned username feature and asked the company to pause its rollout in India until consultations with authorities were completed.
Following similar concerns, the government also issued a notice to Telegram seeking clarification on the feature. Officials are examining both submissions, particularly issues related to privacy, user safety and potential misuse.
Representatives from Meta had recently met MeitY officials to discuss concerns surrounding the feature. During the discussions, government officials highlighted risks linked to impersonation, cyber fraud and misuse of usernames.
The proposed feature allows WhatsApp users to create unique usernames beginning with the “@” symbol, enabling others to contact them without accessing their mobile phone number. Meta has said the feature is optional and designed to provide users with greater privacy.
However, cybersecurity experts and users have raised concerns that malicious actors could create usernames similar to those of individuals, companies or government officials, increasing the risk of scams and identity theft.
Meta has clarified that usernames will be unique for every account and different from display names, which are visible on user profiles but do not need to be unique. The company has also said that certain usernames linked to businesses, government bodies and public figures will be protected from misuse.
Under the proposed system, users who have not saved another person’s phone number will see the username during direct messages, calls and group interactions instead of the phone number.
The government’s review will determine whether additional safeguards or regulatory measures are required before the feature is introduced in India.
