The Indian government has issued a notice to Meta regarding its move to allow usernames on WhatsApp in India, directing the company to furnish a detailed explanation on the feature within three days. The company has been told that it shouldn't be rolled out until consultations on the matter are over, according to government sources.
Earlier on Wednesday, officials said the feature, in its current form, could make it easier for cybercriminals to impersonate public figures, government officials, brands and businesses by registering deceptively similar usernames.
Meta launched the feature globally for WhatsApp's estimated 850 million users two days ago, allowing them to reserve handles. Usernames haven't been operationalised yet.
