India has asked Meta to suspend the rollout of WhatsApp’s new username feature, citing concerns that it could make online scams and identity impersonation easier.
The directive was issued on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, which said the feature should not be introduced until its security implications have been fully reviewed.
WhatsApp recently announced plans to allow users to connect through unique usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers with new contacts, describing the change as a privacy enhancement.
Indian authorities, however, fear the system could be exploited by cybercriminals using deceptive usernames to impersonate individuals, businesses and government agencies.
Officials also warned that the feature could accelerate phishing attacks, identity fraud and the “digital arrest” scams that have become increasingly common across the country.
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The ministry has requested further technical details from Meta and asked the company to defer the launch while consultations continue.
India is WhatsApp’s biggest market, with more than 500 million users, making the government’s intervention a significant setback to the feature’s rollout.
Meta said the username feature has not yet gone live in India and maintained that phone numbers will remain mandatory for account registration.
The company added that usernames are optional, while safeguards have been introduced to limit abuse, including reserving usernames linked to public figures, government institutions and verified accounts.
The move comes as India intensifies efforts to curb cybercrime following a sharp rise in digital fraud. Official figures show Indians lost nearly $3 billion to cybercrime in 2025, prompting regulators to subject new online services to closer scrutiny before they are launched.