WhatsApp, Telegram respond to MeitY notices over username feature

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

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, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks.

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