The Indian government is exploring the implementation of uniform regulations for all messaging platforms operating in the country in response to concerns about impersonation and digital fraud, particularly following WhatsApp's proposed username feature which would allow users to communicate without sharing phone numbers. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has formally questioned WhatsApp about this feature, citing potential increases in online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks, and has directed the platform not to launch it in India until government consultations are concluded to its satisfaction, a directive WhatsApp has agreed to. This move signals a broader government intention to establish common standards and legal backing for all messaging services, as evidenced by similar notices sent to Telegram and Signal regarding their existing username functionalities and risk mitigation strategies, with the government currently reviewing responses from these platforms.

The Indian government is exploring the implementation of uniform regulations for all messaging platforms operating in the country in response to concerns about impersonation and digital fraud, particularly following WhatsApp's proposed username feature which would allow users to communicate without sharing phone numbers. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has formally questioned WhatsApp about this feature, citing potential increases in online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks, and has directed the platform not to launch it in India until government consultations are concluded to its satisfaction, a directive WhatsApp has agreed to. This move signals a broader government intention to establish common standards and legal backing for all messaging services, as evidenced by similar notices sent to Telegram and Signal regarding their existing username functionalities and risk mitigation strategies, with the government currently reviewing responses from these platforms.

The Indian government is exploring the implementation of uniform regulations for all messaging platforms operating in the country in response to concerns about impersonation and digital fraud, particularly following WhatsApp's proposed username feature which would allow users to communicate without sharing phone numbers. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has formally questioned WhatsApp about this feature, citing potential increases in online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks, and has directed the platform not to launch it in India until government consultations are concluded to its satisfaction, a directive WhatsApp has agreed to. This move signals a broader government intention to establish common standards and legal backing for all messaging services, as evidenced by similar notices sent to Telegram and Signal regarding their existing username functionalities and risk mitigation strategies, with the government currently reviewing responses from these platforms.

Amid growing concerns over impersonation and digital fraud following WhatsApp's proposed username feature, the Centre is considering introducing uniform rules for all messaging platforms operating in India.

Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to WhatsApp, questioning the Meta-owned platform's proposed username feature. The government expressed concerns that allowing users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers could significantly increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks.

The Centre also directed WhatsApp not to roll out the feature in India until consultations on the issue are completed "to the satisfaction of the government". In its response, WhatsApp assured the government that it would not launch the feature in the country until discussions are concluded.

According to an official quoted by Hindustan Times, the government is not in favour of WhatsApp introducing the feature in its current form.

"We are also looking at bringing in common standards for messaging platforms so there is legal backing for such decisions. It cannot be that we stop one platform from rolling out a feature while allowing others to continue offering the same thing. The rules have to be uniform for everyone," the official told the newspaper.

"We will discuss this with all messaging platforms before taking a final decision," the official added.

Earlier, the IT ministry also sent notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking clarification on their existing username features and asking how the platforms address risks related to fraud and impersonation.

Telegram has submitted its response to the ministry, while the government is now examining the replies from both WhatsApp and Telegram. The contents of the submissions have not been made public.

In its notice, the government asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules over WhatsApp's proposed feature, which it believes could lead to a rise in cybercrimes. It also reminded the company that, as a significant social media intermediary, WhatsApp is required to comply with due diligence obligations under the IT Act and its rules.

A WhatsApp spokesperson, last week, dismissed fears of online crime, saying the platform has built multiple layers of defence against scams into usernames.

"Other users need to know the exact username to message you. We will limit how many new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone's username key, and have systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns," he said.