The Indian government has granted WhatsApp an additional three days to respond to its notice questioning the platform's upcoming "username" feature, after Meta sought more time and assured authorities it would not roll out the feature in India until discussions are complete.
The extension pushes WhatsApp's original deadline to July 9, with the company now expected to submit its detailed reply to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The dispute began on July 1, when the Centre issued a notice questioning WhatsApp's planned username feature, which would allow users to message one another using a unique handle instead of sharing phone numbers.
The Centre said its primary concern is that WhatsApp's proposed username feature could increase the risk of online fraud and identity-related crimes. In its notice, the government asked the platform to pause the rollout until consultations are completed and reminded Meta of its obligations under the Information Technology Act.
The government cited concerns over:
Online fraud
Phishing attacks
Digital arrest scams
Identity theft and impersonation
Compliance with due diligence requirements under the IT Act
A Meta delegation met MeitY officials last Friday following the summons, and the company has since reassured the ministry it will hold off on the India rollout until the government's concerns are resolved.
WhatsApp has maintained that the feature is not yet live and will roll out gradually later this year, with multiple safeguards including reserved high-profile usernames and systems to detect impersonation attempts, and that users will still require a phone number to use WhatsApp, with senders needing to know a recipient's exact username to initiate contact.
The IT Ministry has also issued notices to Telegram and Signal over their username features and taken action against Instagram and Telegram over harmful and pirated content. Analysts say the scrutiny reflects India's growing focus on balancing digital innovation with user safety, particularly as cybercrime cases continue to rise.
