Deadline to respond to WhatsApp-username dispute extended till July 9:Government stops Meta from rolling out new feature until review is complete

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has extended Meta’s deadline to respond to WhatsApp’s controversial username feature by three days. A government official said on Sunday that the company will now have to submit its response by July 9. Earlier, the government had asked WhatsApp to respond by July 6 in this matter. According to government sources, this notice was issued to Meta when the government demanded a detailed explanation regarding this new feature.
Along with this, the government has given strict instructions to Meta that this feature should not be rolled out (launched) in India until the entire process of discussion and consultation on this matter is completed. What is WhatsApp’s Username Feature? WhatsApp, a platform owned by Meta, recently announced a new username feature. With the help of this feature, users will be able to communicate with others without sharing their phone numbers. It will act as an optional unique identifier for users. This username will always start with the ‘@’ symbol, for example, @Name123. Using this, other people will be able to message or call you, and your phone number will remain completely private.
This username will be different from the display name visible on your profile. Display names can be similar, but usernames will be absolutely unique for each account. How will this new system work in the app In the latest version of WhatsApp, users can reserve their preferred username by going to ‘Settings’, then ‘Account’, and then clicking on ‘Username’. For people who do not have your phone number saved, your username will be displayed by default during group chats, direct messages, or calls. According to Meta, if your preferred username is already taken, you will have to choose another name. Additionally, some specific usernames are reserved for businesses, governments, or public figures, which no other person can claim. What is the government’s concern with this feature? The ministry has warned that WhatsApp’s new feature could promote incidents of fraud, online scams, and impersonation. The government believes that once the feature is enabled, the user’s phone number will not be visible to the person contacting them for the first time, making it difficult to identify criminals. In its notice sent on July 1, the ministry clearly stated that the introduction of this feature could significantly increase cases of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks. This would make it easier for criminals with malicious intent to find victims and send them messages. Additionally, this feature will also make identity theft easier. Criminals can easily prey on people by creating usernames similar to those of common people, government officials, financial institutions, and government agencies. Username vs Display Name Display names can be changed and can be the same for many people, but usernames will always be unique (universal). Secure Usernames Usernames with names of governments, businesses, and VIPs will not be bookable by any common user, to prevent fraud.