New Delhi, 1 July

The Centre has issued a notice to Meta over the planned rollout of WhatsApp’s “usernames” feature in India, directing it to provide a detailed explanation within three days and withholding approval for launch until consultations are completed, sources said on Wednesday.

Officials have also asked Meta not to proceed with the rollout pending review of privacy and security concerns, particularly the risk of impersonation and misuse.

Under the proposed feature, WhatsApp users will be able to create a unique username prefixed with “@”, which can be used to message or call others without sharing phone numbers. Usernames will be distinct from display names and must be unique, while certain handles may be reserved for businesses, governments and public figures. Meta has said users interacting in groups or chats will see usernames by default when numbers are not saved.

The feature is intended to enhance privacy, especially in group interactions and with unknown contacts, and allows users to reserve usernames ahead of full rollout. WhatsApp has around 500 million users in India, making it a key market.

However, government sources said the feature could enable impersonation by allowing users to create handles resembling official agencies or individuals, raising public safety concerns. Authorities are exploring legal mechanisms to regulate or potentially block the feature.

Cybersecurity experts, startup founders and industry voices have also flagged risks of fraud and identity confusion. Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma warned that lookalike usernames could become a major scam vector, while KnotDating CEO Jasveer Singh emphasised the need for both privacy and accountability.

Experts further cautioned that fraudulent accounts mimicking legitimate entities could undermine trust.