Government Blocks WhatsApp Username Feature, Cites Fraud Risks: How Telegram Compares

The Union government has directed WhatsApp to delay the rollout of its username feature, citing concerns that hiding phone numbers could increase online fraud and impersonation. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notice to the Meta-owned platform, stating that the feature may 'materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks' by enabling bad actors to contact victims without revealing their numbers.

WhatsApp is currently accepting reservations for usernames, with a gradual rollout expected in the coming months. The feature allows users to share only a username and an optional PIN with new contacts, avoiding disclosure of their phone number. Meta said that when a user receives a message from someone hiding their number, the app will display the sender's country of origin and indicate whether they are already in the recipient's phonebook.

In its notice, MeitY argued that the feature could 'facilitate impersonation and identity spoofing, including impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions, and government agencies, by permitting the adoption of usernames closely resembling those of genuine persons or institutions.' A WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed that the company has already 'reserved' usernames of prominent personalities to prevent misuse by scammers.

The government's move has drawn comparisons to Telegram, which has offered a username feature for years. Telegram allows any user to set a username, and anyone with that username can message the user directly. Telegram advises against setting a username for those uncomfortable with this openness. Like WhatsApp's proposed feature, Telegram's usernames do not expose phone numbers unless the user enables that in settings. Telegram has also implemented advanced features such as rolling auctions for short usernames on the blockchain site Fragment and the ability to claim inactive usernames if a user holds the same handle on two major social platforms.

Telegram was banned in India for a week in June ahead of the NEET re-examination. The ban was not primarily due to its username feature but because some Telegram channels were able to distribute a leaked exam question paper, which the government argued could cause panic.

Both cases reflect the government's increasing willingness to intervene in the architectural choices of messaging platforms as part of regulating cyberspace. WhatsApp has been directed to postpone the username feature until consultations between Meta and the government are concluded to the latter's satisfaction.