The Indian government has officially intervened regarding Meta’s plan to introduce a "username" feature on WhatsApp, demanding a comprehensive explanation from the tech giant within three days. Authorities have explicitly instructed Meta to halt the rollout of this functionality until further consultations are conducted. The feature, which allows users to connect via unique identifiers like "@username" instead of sharing personal phone numbers, has triggered significant alarm among officials and privacy experts who fear it could facilitate widespread impersonation and cybercrime.

While Meta maintains that the username feature is designed to enhance privacy by decoupling accounts from mobile numbers, critics argue that the system is prone to abuse. Because usernames can be easily registered, there is a legitimate concern that bad actors could create handles that mimic public officials or trusted individuals to deceive users. In response to these risks, government sources have indicated that they are currently reviewing the legal framework to determine if the feature complies with Indian regulations and are prepared to block its implementation entirely if safety standards are not met.