- WhatsApp username feature amid controversies, government bans it.
- New feature will give username instead of number, fraud will increase.
- It will be difficult for investigating agencies to identify the username.
WhatsApp Username Controversy: WhatsApp’s new Username feature has been embroiled in controversy even before its rollout. Many users were already complaining about their name being reserved by someone else, but now the government has also jumped into it. The government has sent a notice to Meta and sought a reply within three days. Besides, a ban has also been imposed on the rollout of this feature in India. Today we will know how this feature will work and what are the concerns related to it due to which the government had to intervene.
What is the Username feature of WhatsApp?
Currently, a mobile number is required to message or call someone on WhatsApp. To change this, the company has brought the username feature. In this, contact can be made with the help of username instead of mobile number. Mobile number will still be required for account registration and verification etc., but its need for sending message or calling someone will end. Such a feature is already available in Telegram. In a way, it gives the user an opportunity to hide his real identity.
What are the concerns regarding this feature?
WhatsApp is calling this feature important for user privacy, but there are security concerns associated with it. The biggest concern is committing fraud by hiding identity. The real identity of the person will be hidden from the username and the mobile number will also not be visible. Due to this, cases like scam and fraud may increase. The government has also said that this feature may increase cases of cyber fraud like online fraud, phishing and digital arrest. Apart from this, if a person creates a username similar to someone else’s name or that of a government department or bank etc., then it will become easy to cheat people.
Investigation of cases can also be difficult
Along with these concerns, this feature can also create problems for the investigating agencies. IPS officer Arun Bothra wrote on X that WhatsApp’s username-based identity feature can become a big challenge for law agencies. Due to one such feature, Telegram’s name often comes up in cases of investment scams, identity fraud and cyber crimes. There are billions of users of WhatsApp. In such a situation, a small design choice can have a big impact on public safety. Experts also say that it is easy to trace someone through mobile number, but username makes the process of investigation difficult.
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