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By Lawrence Agbo
The Indian government has asked Meta to postpone the introduction of WhatsApp’s planned username feature, citing concerns that it could increase online fraud and make it easier for scammers to impersonate users.
According to reports, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology requested that the tech giant suspend the rollout until consultations on the feature are concluded.
The request follows Meta’s announcement that WhatsApp users would soon be able to communicate using unique usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers, a change aimed at improving user privacy.
However, Indian authorities fear the feature could be exploited by cybercriminals to carry out phishing attacks, impersonation and other forms of online fraud, particularly among users with limited digital literacy.
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“There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not,” a senior government official was quoted as saying.
India, WhatsApp’s largest market with more than 500 million users, has experienced a sharp rise in cybercrime in recent years, with official data showing citizens lost nearly $3 billion to online fraud in 2025.
Responding to the concerns, Meta said the username feature has not yet been launched in India and stressed that it has built safeguards into the system to reduce the risk of impersonation.
The company noted that usernames linked to public figures and verified accounts have already been reserved to prevent misuse, adding that users will still need a phone number to register and use WhatsApp.
Meta also said it has incorporated multiple layers of protection to help detect and prevent scams as it prepares to roll out the new feature globally.
