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New Delhi. Instant messaging platform WhatsApp is working on a feature that will allow users to start chats in the future even without sharing their mobile number. Under this feature, like Instagram and other social media platforms, every user will be able to create a unique username. However, this possible change has sparked debate in India. Some experts and content creators believe that this may lead to an increase in cases of fake profiles and online fraud.

What is the new username feature?

According to reports, WhatsApp is testing a feature in which users will be able to choose a unique username for their profile. After this it will not be necessary to share mobile numbers to contact people. The objective is to improve the privacy of the users and they can communicate without making the number public.

Ankur Wariku expressed concern

Entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Wariku expressed concern about this feature on social media platform X. He says that if strong verification and security system is not made, then in a big digital market like India, it can be easy to cheat people by creating fake usernames.

According to Wariku, scammers may try to deceive people by creating usernames similar to a celebrity, business leader or popular influencer. Their argument is that if the mobile number is not visible then it may become more difficult for the common user to differentiate between real and fake accounts.

He also reminded that earlier also attempts had been made to defraud people through fake online advertisements using his name and photograph.

Dhruv Rathi also raised questions

YouTuber Dhruv Rathi also raised questions on Meta’s policies regarding this feature. They allege that complaints of fake advertisements and online scams have already been coming to light on other platforms of the company. In such a situation, he believes that after the implementation of the new feature on WhatsApp, the security system should be very strong.

Opinion divided on social media

Opinion of internet users is also divided on this issue. One section says that username based identification is already present on platforms like X, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram, so one should not worry too much about it in WhatsApp.

At the same time, other users believe that WhatsApp is mostly used for personal and family conversations. In such a situation, if there is not a strong system to verify identity, then new methods of cyber fraud may emerge.

Will the danger increase?

At present, it is too early to say whether the new feature will increase scams or not. The security of any new system will depend on how effective WhatsApp implements security measures for fake usernames, impersonation, account verification and complaint resolution.

WhatsApp has millions of active users in India. In such a situation, if this feature is released on a wide scale, then along with it, strong security and identity verification mechanism will also play an important role.