India has ordered Meta Platforms’s WhatsApp to pause the rollout of its new username feature in the country.
Officials say the tool could increase fraud, phishing, and impersonation risks.
The directive came in a July 1 notice from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, asking WhatsApp to explain the feature within three days and stop deployment until consultations end.
WhatsApp had already begun a phased global rollout. The feature allows users to reserve unique usernames and message others without sharing phone numbers. In India, however, regulators objected before it could fully launch.
India is WhatsApp’s largest market, with more than 500 million users. That scale has made the platform central to both communication and digital payments across the country.
Officials argue that usernames could weaken traceability, as removing visible phone numbers makes it harder for law enforcement to track suspects in cybercrime cases.
They also warn it could slow down investigations and complaints filed through national reporting systems.
The government linked its concerns to recent cases against Telegram. India temporarily blocked the platform in June 2026 over fraud cases, exam leaks, and misuse of anonymous channels. Telegram later lost a legal challenge against the restriction.
In its letter to WhatsApp’s compliance head in India, the ministry said the feature could open the door to “digital arrest” scams and impersonation attacks. It pointed to India’s IT regulations, which require platforms to support accountability and user traceability.
WhatsApp has defended the username feature, saying usernames are optional and still require a phone number to register. It also says users must know the exact username before they can send messages.
The company added that it has built precautions into the system. These include limits on how many new contacts a user can message and protections against repeated username guessing attempts. Meta has also reserved usernames for public figures and verified accounts to reduce impersonation risks.
Regulators, however, are unconvinced. They argue that design changes like this should not move forward without prior clearance.
One digital rights group, the Internet Freedom Foundation, criticised the decision and said there is no legal basis for blocking a feature before release. It described the move as an attempt to decide “what a company may build and ship.”
