India isn’t happy with WhatsApp’s latest feature. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has demanded the platform explain its new username system, worrying it could open the door to more cyberattacks.
The concern? WhatsApp’s username feature lets people message without sharing their phone numbers. In India — WhatsApp’s biggest market with over 850 million users — the government sees this as a potential playground for phishing, impersonation, and digital arrest scams. MeitY gave WhatsApp three days to respond and wants the rollout paused until it gets government approval.
WhatsApp pushed back. The company says it’s built in multiple safety measures: limiting how new contacts can reach you, blocking username guessing attempts, and detecting impersonation patterns. It also points out that users still need a phone number to use the app. The username feature is supposed to roll out gradually later this year with safety indicators built in.
The Internet Freedom Foundation has jumped in too — arguing the ministry doesn’t have clear legal standing here and calling it regulatory overreach. Sound familiar? They made the same argument when the government tried to regulate AI models.
