The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is reviewing Meta's response regarding the proposed 'username' feature in WhatsApp. The purpose of the review is to assess the adequacy of the protection measures proposed by the company to prevent fraud, phishing, and impersonation.
Discussion and Implementation Timeline
According to sources, WhatsApp's response was received late Thursday after consultations between Meta representatives and MeitY officials. Previously, the ministry had required the company not to implement this feature in India until the consultation process was complete. Currently, the ministry is evaluating the legal, privacy, and cybersecurity implications of this feature.
Core of the Proposed Feature
The proposed feature will allow users to create a unique identifier starting with the '@' symbol and communicate with others without revealing their phone numbers. Officials expressed concerns about malicious actors creating names similar to those of government agencies, public figures, businesses, and private individuals to deceive users. Questions were also raised about the potential use of this feature in phishing, digital arrest schemes, and other crimes based on impersonation.
Protective Measures from Meta
Meta plans to reserve usernames associated with government bodies, public figures, and verified accounts for their legitimate owners. Additionally, variations of known names that might be similar will be blocked. WhatsApp has proposed additional protective mechanisms, including limiting the number of new users an account can contact. The company clarified that using usernames will be optional, but a mobile phone number will still be required for the WhatsApp account to function.
