WhatsApp Usernames Under Review as Centre Pushes for Uniform Rules Across Digital Platforms

The Centre is continuing its review of Meta's proposed WhatsApp usernames feature, with officials examining the company's response to concerns over impersonation, online fraud and user safety. However, the government's focus extends beyond a single feature. It is increasingly looking at whether the same rules should apply uniformly across all digital platforms offering similar services.

According to reports, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is evaluating Meta's explanation before deciding whether WhatsApp's username feature can be introduced in India. The rollout remains on hold until the government completes its assessment.

Uniform Policy, Not Platform-Specific Decisions

Officials believe the issue goes beyond WhatsApp alone. Instead of taking a platform-by-platform approach, the government is understood to be exploring a broader policy framework that would establish common rules for identity-based communication features across messaging and social media platforms.

The idea is to ensure that similar features offered by different companies are governed by the same regulatory principles, particularly when they have the potential to affect user safety, impersonation risks and digital fraud. Such an approach could prevent companies from operating under different compliance standards for comparable products.

Why the Government Is Concerned

WhatsApp's proposed usernames would allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers, replacing them with unique identifiers beginning with the "@" symbol.

Meta has positioned the feature as a privacy enhancement. However, government officials fear that usernames resembling those of public figures, government departments, businesses or individuals could be exploited by fraudsters for phishing, impersonation and so-called "digital arrest" scams.

Those concerns prompted MeitY to ask Meta for detailed safeguards before permitting the rollout.

Rollout Remains on Hold

Meta has assured the government that it will not introduce the usernames feature in India until consultations are complete. The company has submitted details of the safeguards it plans to implement, but officials are still evaluating whether those measures are sufficient to address the risks identified by the government.

Part of a Wider Regulatory Push

The scrutiny of WhatsApp comes as the government adopts a more proactive approach towards regulating digital platforms. In recent weeks, Meta has also faced questions over Instagram's handling of child sexual abuse material advertisements, while authorities have increased oversight of AI features, online fraud prevention and intermediary responsibilities.

The review of WhatsApp usernames therefore fits into a broader effort to ensure new platform features are assessed not only for innovation and privacy benefits, but also for their impact on public safety.

What Happens Next?

The government has not indicated when it will complete its review of Meta's response. If India ultimately adopts a uniform regulatory framework for identity-based communication features, the decision could extend beyond WhatsApp and influence how other messaging and social media platforms introduce similar functionality in the future.