WhatsApp has been granted an additional three days to respond to the government’s notice regarding its planned username feature. The Meta-owned messaging platform has assured the government that the feature will not be introduced in India until ongoing consultations with authorities are completed.
The extension was provided after WhatsApp requested more time to submit its response to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The company was earlier required to reply by July 3.
The government had issued a notice to Meta last week over the proposed feature, which would allow users to communicate without sharing their mobile numbers.
Authorities raised concerns that the system could be misused for online fraud, phishing, impersonation and “digital arrest” scams without proper safeguards.
The IT Ministry asked WhatsApp to keep the feature on hold and sought an explanation on why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and intermediary rules, citing the company’s due diligence responsibilities as a significant social media intermediary.
Reports said a Meta delegation met MeitY officials on July 3 and assured that the username feature would not be rolled out in India until discussions are completed.
WhatsApp said the feature is still under development and may be introduced gradually later this year. The company added that phone numbers will remain necessary for account creation, while usernames of public figures, government entities, celebrities and verified Meta accounts will be reserved to prevent impersonation.
Similar-looking usernames will also be restricted.
The IT Ministry has also sought details from Telegram and Signal on safeguards in their username-based systems.
