The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is working on a common regulatory framework for messaging platforms operating in India as it moves to formally oppose WhatsApp's proposed username feature, citing concerns over impersonation, online fraud, "digital arrest" scams and challenges for law enforcement.
The move comes as WhatsApp continues to test new features, including birthday notifications for contacts on Android, highlighting the government's growing focus on how messaging platforms introduce new identity and social features.
Why MeitY is opposing WhatsApp usernames
According to a government official familiar with the matter, the Centre is not in favour of WhatsApp allowing users to communicate using usernames instead of relying solely on phone numbers.
"We are not in favour of WhatsApp introducing this feature. Given its massive user base in India, usernames could make impersonation, digital arrest scams, online fraud and even investigations by law enforcement more difficult," the official said.
WhatsApp has more than three billion users globally, with India being its largest market.
Officials fear that while usernames may improve privacy by allowing users to avoid sharing their phone numbers, they could also make it easier for scammers to create fake identities that resemble genuine individuals, businesses or government agencies.
Government wants common standards for all messaging platforms
Rather than targeting a single platform, MeitY is now looking at framing common standards that would apply uniformly to all messaging services operating in India.
"It cannot be that we stop one platform from rolling out a feature while allowing others to continue offering the same thing. The rules have to be uniform for everyone. We will discuss this with all messaging platforms before taking a final decision," the official said.
The proposal aims to close what officials describe as a regulatory gap. Existing laws govern the responsibilities of intermediaries but do not specifically regulate product features such as usernames.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal currently either offer or are testing username-based identities, while Zoho-owned messaging platform Arattai recently announced it would disable its username feature to comply with the proposed regulatory direction.
Messaging platforms respond to government notices
The development comes after WhatsApp and Telegram submitted responses to notices issued by MeitY explaining the safeguards built into their username systems.
Signal, which also received a notice on July 3, is yet to respond.
Officials said the government is examining the responses before deciding its next course of action.
What the law currently says
Messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and Arattai operate as intermediaries under India's Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
These laws require platforms to:
- Exercise due diligence while providing services.
- Remove unlawful content upon receiving valid legal orders.
- Assist law enforcement agencies when legally required.
- Preserve information and comply with government directions under applicable law.
However, neither the IT Act nor the 2021 Rules prescribe which product features messaging apps may or may not introduce. There are currently no explicit legal provisions governing features such as usernames, profile discovery or identity mechanisms.
This regulatory grey area is what MeitY now intends to address by creating uniform standards applicable across all messaging platforms.
Legal experts raise questions
The government's scrutiny has also sparked debate among digital rights advocates and legal experts, some of whom argue that the IT Act and the 2021 Rules do not explicitly empower MeitY to regulate the design or functionality of messaging applications.
They contend that any such restrictions may require fresh legislation or amendments rather than administrative directions.
WhatsApp also testing birthday notifications
Even as regulatory scrutiny intensifies, WhatsApp continues to develop new user-facing features.
According to feature tracker WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing birthday notifications for contacts on Android. The feature is expected to alert users when one of their contacts has a birthday, provided the contact has chosen to share that information.
The feature is aimed at increasing engagement within the app by making it easier for users to remember birthdays and send greetings without relying on external calendar reminders.
The addition reflects WhatsApp's broader strategy of expanding beyond messaging into social and utility features, at a time when regulators in India are examining how such identity-related features could affect user safety, privacy and law enforcement.
