Meta gets 3 more days to respond on WhatsApp username feature concerns

Meta has secured three more days to respond to the Centre’s concerns over WhatsApp’s move to allow users to chat without sharing numbers as the government continues to assess potential risks of the proposed usernames feature, people aware of the development said.

This comes after the global tech giant sought time till July 9 to respond on the issue, pointing to the global nature of the planned rollout, they added.

WhatsApp announced the unique username option last week and opened early name reservations globally on June 29.

However, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) subsequently issued a formal notice directing Meta to put the India rollout on hold pending a rigorous risk assessment. It also asked the company to submit a response on the same by Monday.

The ministry may also explore legal options for restricting WhatsApp usernames in the country, people cited above said.

A team from Meta had met MeitY officials last week following the notice summoning them. At the meeting, officials stressed that in its current form, the username feature poses major risks of impersonation on a wide scale.

In response to the government’s pushback, WhatsApp has promised New Delhi it won’t roll out the feature in India until it addresses concerns about bad actors.

A WhatsApp spokesperson had pointed out the app has built-in safeguards to prevent abuse, including locking down high-profile names so scammers can't impersonate public figures or companies.

The platform is also limiting the number of new chats a user can start at once using a handle, and it will automatically flag any first-time messages coming from an overseas account.

Last week, electronics and information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had also directed ministry officials to summon Meta on the matter of Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material in India. The ministry will seek an explanation from Meta on the issue.

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