WhatsApp Username Feature: There is an uproar in India regarding the username feature on WhatsApp. WhatsApp is preparing to bring such a feature through which users will be able to connect with other people only through their username without sharing their mobile number. The company itself says that with this, the privacy of the users will be better than before. However, the Government of India has expressed serious security and cyber fraud concerns regarding this feature. Amidst all this, the Central Government has asked to stop the roll out of this feature in India for the time being and has issued a show cause notice to Meta.
The government has sought a response from the company within 3 days with all the security measures and necessary documents related to this feature. The government says that until the review of all aspects is completed and a satisfactory answer is received regarding security, this feature should not be implemented in India.
What is WhatsApp’s username feature?
Under the new feature of WhatsApp, users will be able to choose a unique user name for their account. After this, for the first time, username can be used instead of mobile number to contact a person. This means that even if the other person does not have your number saved, he will still be able to chat or call you through your user name and your mobile number will remain private. The company says that this feature will be completely optional, users will be able to use it wherever they want. Apart from this, to contact a person, it will also be necessary to know his exact user name.
Why is the government worried about the new feature?
The Central Government believes that after the introduction of this feature, cyber criminals can easily cheat people by creating user names similar to any famous person, government institutions, banks or any organization. Due to this, there is a possibility of increase in cyber crimes through online fraud, phishing, digital arrest and fake identity. According to government officials, the Home Ministry has also expressed concern about this feature that there are a large number of people who are not very technically aware, will not be able to differentiate between usernames and will easily fall prey to it. The government is also investigating whether this feature goes against the provisions of the existing IT Act and IT Rules 2021. If security measures are not found adequate then stopping this roll out completely can also be considered.
Is hiding a phone number also a crime?
Just hiding a phone number or using a username to increase privacy is not a crime. The government’s objection is not on the fact that the user will be able to hide his number, but on the fact that this facility should not be used to defraud people by creating fake identities. That is, the center of controversy is not privacy but the threat of possible impersonation and cyber fraud.
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What did Meta say in his defense?
Meta says that this feature is not live yet and it will be gradually rolled out this year. According to the company, despite having a username, it will be necessary to provide a mobile number to use WhatsApp as before. The company claims that many security measures have already been prepared to prevent impersonation. Major usernames associated with government organizations, celebrities and Meta’s verified accounts have already been protected so that they cannot be used by anyone else. Apart from this, many similar usernames have also been reserved.
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