WhatsApp gets more time to respond to username notification, ensures that no India is introduced by the end of conversations

Meta-owned WhatsApp has been given more time to submit its response to the controversial ‘username’ feature and has assured the government that it will not introduce it in India until discussions are complete, according to sources.

The popular messaging platform has been given three more days to file a reply to the government’s notice on the controversial feature as it sought more time to send its reply, sources told PTI.

The username feature essentially allows people on the messaging platform to communicate without sharing their phone numbers.

Last Wednesday (July 1, 2026), the Center for Meta issued a notice questioning the planned username feature on WhatsApp, raising concerns that it could substantially increase online fraud, phishing, digital capture and impersonation attacks.

He ordered the platform to suspend the function until consultations on the issue were completed “to the satisfaction of the government”.

Sources said WhatsApp has been given three more days to send its reply to the IT ministry. The original submission deadline was Friday (July 3, 2026).

According to sources, the platform has also assured the government that it will not roll out the feature until discussions are complete.

A team from Meta met officials at the IT ministry last Friday (July 3, 2026) following a notice summoning them.

In a notification, the Center has asked the Met to explain why action under the IT Act and Rules should not be initiated regarding the new WhatsApp feature that may increase cyber crimes.

The government also reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a major social media intermediary, is bound by the duty of due diligence under the IT Act and Rules.

An email sent on WhatsApp did not elicit an immediate response.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said last week that the option to use a username is not yet live and will be rolled out slowly later this year.

“To protect against impersonation, we’ve kept the highest profile names – think public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts – so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners, and similar derivatives of well-known names are also held,” the spokesperson said.

Users still need a phone number to use WhatsApp, the company said, adding that it has built several layers of fraud defense into usernames.

“Other users need to know the exact username in order to message you. We will limit how many new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone’s username key, and have systems in place to detect and remove activity that shows common patterns of impersonation and abuse,” the company said.

Before users reply, WhatsApp will show whether the first sender is a new account, a contact, a member of a mutual group, or from another country.

“When the feature is available and someone sends a message through your username for the first time, we’ll show you if it’s a new account, if it’s your contact, if you have groups in common, and if they’re based in a different country, so you can decide whether to respond,” WhatsApp said.

After issuing notices to WhatsApp, the IT ministry also issued notices to Telegram and Signal, raising questions about their existing username feature and asking how the platforms address concerns related to the risks of fraud and impersonation. While WhatsApp has 50 million users in India, Telegram’s reach is a fraction of that.

Notably, in the past few days, Meta and Telegram have faced regulatory scrutiny on other issues.

While the government on Saturday (July 4, 2026) issued a strong notice to Meta over child sexual abuse material in its Instagram ads, Telegram was served with a notice ordering it to crack down on the “widespread dissemination” of pirated movies, OTT content and other audiovisual material through its platform.

Published – 6 July 2026 19:30 IST