WhatsApp Username Holdback and Government Scrutiny

WhatsApp is talking about holding back usernames for now. They said they’re going to keep names of public figures, government stuff, celebrities and verified Meta accounts reserved under this new feature. That came shortly after the Centre sent a notice to Meta. The worry was clear: people feared this tool could be used for scams or impersonation online.
A spokesperson stepped up and said it’s just an announcement right now. It’s not live yet. Rollout is going to be slow, maybe later this year. They built some safeguards into the system already, they claimed.
“We announced the option,” the spokesperson noted. “But the ability isn’t live. It rolls out slowly.”
The whole thing happened because of that notice from MeitY to Meta. That's where things got complicated.
Sources quoted by CNN-News18 are pointing out the government pushed back hard. They told Meta they needed a detailed explanation for this feature within three days. And, crucially, they instructed Meta not to roll it out in India until all that consultation process is done.
Why the pushback? Because people worried about cybercriminals slipping in. Impersonation through misleading usernames seemed like an open door.
The idea behind the username system itself is simple enough. It lets you create a unique handle starting with the “@” symbol. You can message or call someone without showing your actual phone number. It’s separate from your display name, and it shows up by default to anyone who doesn't have your contact saved.
Meta countered that usernames will be unique for every account. And yes, names tied to big businesses or public figures are staying locked down to stop misuse. But even with those locks in place, privacy experts are still raising eyebrows. They argue that some similar-looking handles could still get exploited for fraud. It’s a tricky balance, you know?
Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board
Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.
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