10 July,2026 10:19 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Image. Pic/Pixabay
Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its response to the Centre's notice regarding its proposed username feature, with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) currently reviewing the company's submissions, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The development comes after the government raised concerns over possible misuse of the upcoming feature, including risks linked to online fraud, phishing attempts, impersonation, and digital scams.
The ministry had issued a notice to WhatsApp last week and asked the messaging platform to address concerns before introducing the feature for users in India.
The proposed username feature is designed to allow users to connect and communicate without sharing their mobile phone numbers. The company has positioned the feature as an additional privacy measure, giving users more control over how they interact on the platform.
However, government officials expressed concerns that allowing communication through usernames could make it more difficult to verify identities and potentially increase misuse by fraudsters.
As part of its communication with the Centre, WhatsApp sought additional time to submit its response. The company also assured authorities that the feature would not be launched in India until discussions with the government were completed.
Sources said MeitY has now received WhatsApp's response and officials are examining the details provided by the company.
WhatsApp has not issued any official statement regarding the contents of its response or the concerns raised by the government.
Earlier this week, IT Secretary S. Krishnan said the company's reply to the government's notice was expected by Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit in New Delhi, Krishnan said the government would evaluate the company's response before deciding on the next steps.
"We will await the formal response to the notice that we have issued, and thereafter we will take a view based on what the response is," Krishnan said on Thursday.
The IT Secretary also confirmed that similar notices had been sent to Telegram and Signal regarding their username-based features.
When asked whether the two platforms had responded, Krishnan said they still had time to submit their replies. He added that the government would review the matter after receiving responses from all concerned platforms.
The discussions come as authorities continue to examine privacy-focused features on messaging platforms while also addressing concerns related to user safety, online fraud, and accountability.
Earlier, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had directed ministry officials to summon Meta and seek an explanation regarding the alleged presence of child sexual abuse material in advertisements on Instagram.
(With inputs from IANS)
