New Delhi, July 6 (IANS). Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has assured the Indian government that it will not launch its proposed ‘username feature’ in the country until the ongoing talks with the government are completed.
According to sources related to the matter, the Central Government has also given three days additional time to WhatsApp to respond to the notice issued regarding this feature. The company was earlier supposed to respond by Friday, but now it has got some more time to clarify its position.
Through this new feature, WhatsApp wants to give users the facility to communicate only through username without sharing their mobile number.
However, the central government had expressed concern over this feature by issuing a formal notice to the company last week. The government believes that this may increase the risk of cyber crimes like online fraud, phishing and fake identity (impersonation). For this reason, the government has asked WhatsApp not to implement this feature until the discussion on issues related to security and consumer protection is completed.
In this connection, on Friday, a delegation of Meta met with officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and discussed the issue in detail.
Earlier this week, WhatsApp had said that several security measures have already been included in the username feature, so that problems like fake identities, fraud and unwanted contacts can be avoided. The company says that it plans to launch this feature globally in a phased manner by the end of this year.
Following the concerns raised by the government, WhatsApp had also answered many questions related to the username feature on social media platform X.
The company clarified that it will not be mandatory for any user to create a username. Additionally, existing usernames on Instagram and Facebook, including those of public figures, celebrities, government institutions and meta verified accounts, will be pre-protected so that they can only be used by their rightful owners.
–IANS
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