The username feature mimics something available on other apps like Telegram and Signal, where users can chat without sharing their phone numbers. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters WhatsApp’s new username feature — which will allow users to interact without exposing their phone numbers — is drawing skepticism from the Union government, with a senior official saying on Wednesday (July 1, 2026) that the government is worried about the potential for spam and impersonation. The government has sent a notice to WhatsApp, asking it to put the feature on hold for the time being. “It is felt that the feature may materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to solicit and message victims,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said in the notice addressed to WhatsApp’s chief compliance officer in India, a copy of which The Hindu reviewed. The government told the firm “to furnish a detailed explanation on the “usernames” feature within 3 days,” and to avoid proceeding until “detailed consultations” were held, the official said.
Published: July 1, 2026 3:19 pm
Source: The Hindu — Read original