Overview
- The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has formally ordered WhatsApp not to launch its username feature in India and gave Meta three days to explain why regulatory action should not follow, a directive issued in a July 1 notice.
- WhatsApp says the feature is not yet active, that users must still register with a phone number, and that it will roll out usernames slowly later this year with safeguards such as reserved high‑profile names, optional username keys, contact limits, anti‑guessing blocks and contextual warnings for first messages.
- The government has widened its review by issuing similar notices to Telegram and Signal to explain how their existing username systems work and what steps they take to prevent impersonation and fraud.
- Digital‑rights groups argue the executive lacks explicit legal authority to pre‑approve product features under the current IT Act and Intermediary Rules, creating a likely legal fight over whether New Delhi can block a feature before launch.
- India is WhatsApp's largest market with about 500 million users and a sharp rise in cyber‑enabled financial crime; officials say the dispute will test how regulators balance privacy features with law‑enforcement traceability and user safety.