Government to review WhatsApp's new username feature as online fraud concerns grow

The government is set to review WhatsApp's new username feature due to increasing online frauds in India, sources familiar with the development told Zee Business.

"The absence of phone numbers raises concerns about a potential increase in fraud," said a source.

"The government may examine whether this can be legally restricted," it said.

WhatApp's new feature

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is planning to expand its privacy features. A new feature named 'username' will be introduced later this year, allowing users to connect with new people without sharing their phone numbers.

The company said users can begin reserving their preferred usernames starting this week, ahead of the wider rollout. The feature will be introduced gradually over the coming months, and users will receive a notification when it becomes available in their country.

Reservation

According to WhatsApp, early reservations are being opened because many usernames are likely to overlap among its more than three billion users.

The platform has also introduced a username generator to help users create unique usernames. For creators, small businesses and organisations, WhatsApp will provide an option to claim the same username they already use on Instagram or Facebook, allowing them to maintain a consistent identity across Meta platforms.

Legal action and support for anti-spyware efforts

WhatsApp said it has asked a US court to hold NSO Group in contempt for allegedly violating a permanent injunction issued after a court ruled that the company had breached federal and state hacking laws.

The company said spyware poses a national security threat because such tools can target browsers, operating systems and applications beyond WhatsApp.

It said reported targets of commercial spyware have included journalists, government officials, military personnel and humanitarian organisations. Read More