The Indian government has asked Meta to suspend the planned rollout of WhatsApp’s new username feature in the country, citing concerns that it could fuel online fraud, impersonation and cyber scams.
According to media reports on Thursday, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology urged Meta to delay the feature until further consultations are concluded.
The request comes as India battles a sharp rise in cybercrime, with fraudsters increasingly exploiting low levels of digital literacy among millions of internet users. Earlier this week, Meta announced that WhatsApp users worldwide would soon be able to connect using unique usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers, a feature aimed at improving user privacy.
However, Indian authorities warned that the change could make it easier for criminals to impersonate individuals and deceive unsuspecting users. India is WhatsApp’s largest market, with more than 500 million users.
According to the Indian Express, the ministry warned that the feature could contribute to an increase in phishing attacks, impersonation, online fraud and so-called “digital arrest” scams.
“There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not,” the newspaper quoted a senior government official as saying.
“For those who may not be technologically aware to make out the difference, it could be a huge challenge. “In response, Meta said the username feature has not yet been launched in India and stressed that safeguards have been built into the system.
The company said it has reserved usernames for verified accounts and high-profile public figures to prevent impersonation. “To protect against impersonation, we’ve held the highest-profile names so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners,” Meta said in a statement.
The company also noted that users will still need a valid phone number to create and use a WhatsApp account, adding that multiple security measures have been incorporated to combat scams involving usernames. The username feature is already available on WeChat, the messaging platform owned by Chinese technology company Tencent.
India has witnessed a dramatic increase in cybercrime in recent years as rapid digital adoption has outpaced public awareness of online safety. Government figures show that Indians lost nearly $3 billion to cyber fraud in 2025, almost 40 times the amount recorded in 2021.
