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New Delhi, 1 July. The Modi government at the Center on Wednesday issued a notice regarding the proposed update to introduce the username feature of social media platform WhatsApp in India and directed the company not to launch it till the completion of consultations with the government. Along with this, the Center has also asked Meta to present detailed description of this feature within three days.

However, after the notice of the Central Government, WhatsApp also issued its statement late at night. A WhatsApp spokesperson said, ‘We have announced the option for people to reserve their favorite username on WhatsApp. The feature of using username has not been launched yet and will be gradually rolled out towards the end of the year.

Multi-layered security to protect against scams with username – meta

Meta further said, ‘To protect against impersonation, we have reserved the names of the most famous people – such as public figures, government organizations, celebrities, verified Meta accounts – so that they can only be claimed by their rightful owners. Besides, names similar to famous names have also been reserved. Users will still need a phone number to use WhatsApp, and we’ve built in multiple layers of security to protect against scams along with the username.

A company spokesperson added: ‘While other users must know your correct username to message you, we will limit the number of new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone’s username, and have systems in place to detect and prevent common impersonation and abuse patterns. When this feature becomes available and someone first sends you a message using your username, we’ll show you if they’re a new account, if they’re your contact, if you have any common groups, and if they’re from another country, so you can decide whether to reply.

More than 50 crore users of WhatsApp

This notice has been sent to Meta in connection with the plan to launch the username feature on WhatsApp in India. WhatsApp has more than 50 crore users in India. The feature, which was publicly announced on June 29, allows existing and new users on WhatsApp to reserve unique username names and can start and conduct conversations simply by exchanging usernames, without revealing their phone numbers after full activation.

What concerns did the Center express in the notice??

The Center said in its notice sent to Meta, ‘It is believed that this feature may further increase the incidents of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and fraud as it will help scammers to contact the victims and send them messages. Additionally, this feature may facilitate fraud and identity theft by allowing the adoption of usernames that closely resemble real persons or institutions, impersonating individuals, public servants, financial institutions, and government agencies.’

New feature WhatsApp Plus launched

Along with the announcement of the launch of WhatsApp’s username feature, another new feature has also been introduced. Meta recently launched WhatsApp Plus in India, the messaging platform’s first paid subscription for users who want more customization. They will have to adopt it by paying a price of Rs 79 per month. This optional plan gives access to exclusive themes, app icons, ringtones, stickers and other personalization features while WhatsApp’s core messaging and calling services will remain free for all users.

WhatsApp Plus is a premium subscription

WhatsApp Plus is a premium subscription designed to enhance the look and feel of the app through extra customization options. This plan does not include any new messaging, voice calling or privacy features but is completely focused on personalizing the user experience. In India, this option is available for both Android and iPhone users. The subscription is part of Meta’s broader initiative to expand its portfolio of paid offerings on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.