India IT Secretary: WhatsApp must respond to government notice on username feature by July 9

Source: PTI

Meta-owned WhatsApp's response to the government notice regarding its proposed 'username' feature is due on Thursday (July 9, 2026), according to IT Secretary S. Krishnan.

Background

Last week, the Centre issued a notice to Meta questioning the proposed username feature on WhatsApp, flagging concerns that it could materially increase:

• Online fraud
• Phishing attacks
• Digital arrest scams
• Impersonation attacks

The username feature would allow users to communicate on the messaging platform without sharing their phone numbers.

Government's Position

The government directed WhatsApp not to launch the feature until consultations on the issue are completed "to the satisfaction of the Government."

In the notice, the government asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the IT Act and rules over the new feature, which may increase cybercrimes. It also reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, is bound by due diligence obligations under the IT Act and rules.

WhatsApp's Response

WhatsApp sought additional time to submit its response on the 'username' feature and assured the government that it would not roll it out in India until discussions are complete.

"Today is the day when the reply is due," Mr. Krishnan said on the sidelines of the CII GCC Business Summit, when asked about WhatsApp's response.

Last Friday, a team from Meta met officials in the IT Ministry following the notice.

WhatsApp's Stance on Username Feature

A WhatsApp spokesperson stated last week that the ability to use a username is not yet live and will roll out slowly later this year. Key safeguards mentioned by the company include:

• Impersonation protection: High-profile names (public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts) can only be claimed by their legitimate owners; lookalike derivatives are also held.
• Phone number requirement: Users still require a phone number to use WhatsApp.
• Multiple defence layers: The company has built several safeguards into usernames, including:
• Limiting how many new people an account can contact
• Blocking repeated attempts to guess someone's username key
• Systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns
• Sender transparency: WhatsApp will show whether a first-time sender is a new account, a contact, a mutual group member, or from another country before users respond.

Notices to Telegram and Signal

On whether Telegram and Signal have responded to similar notices sent to them regarding their existing username features, Mr. Krishnan said: "There is still a little more time, so the replies have not yet been received... we will examine this issue."