Meta-owned WhatsApp has been granted three more days to submit its response to the government's notice over its proposed username feature. According to government officials, the messaging platform has also assured the Centre that it will not roll out the feature in India until consultations with the government are complete.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) had issued a notice to WhatsApp on July 1 over concerns that the username feature could increase risks of online fraud and impersonation. The company was initially asked to furnish a detailed explanation within three days and was directed not to launch the feature until discussions were concluded.
However, Meta sought additional time to respond, following which the government extended the deadline by another three days. A Meta delegation met officials in the IT Ministry last Friday after receiving the notice.
The government also reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, is required to comply with due diligence obligations under the IT Act and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said the company has announced an option for users to reserve their preferred usernames, but the feature is not yet live and will be rolled out gradually later this year. The spokesperson added that the platform has reserved usernames of public figures, government entities, celebrities and verified Meta accounts, along with lookalike versions, to prevent impersonation.
After issuing a notice to WhatsApp, MeitY also sent notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking details on their existing username features and measures to prevent fraud and impersonation.
Separately, the government issued a notice to Meta over alleged child sexual abuse material appearing in Instagram advertisements, while Telegram was directed to curb the widespread circulation of pirated films, OTT content and other audio-visual material on its platform.