After WhatsApp, IT Ministry Sends Notices to Signal, Telegram Over Username Feature

WhatsApp’s upcoming username feature has opened a new pandora box with rival platforms offering similar functionalities that have come under the government scanner. 

The Indian IT ministry has reportedly sent notices to Telegram and Signal over their username functionality, and sought explanation on how they are addressing concerns relating to impersonations and frauds. 

It may be recalled that the Indian government had recently temporarily banned Telegram to prevent paper leaks. The ban had triggered wide discussion on functionalities that allow users to mask their identity on the platform.

Zoho, in the meanwhile, said it will disable usernames on its instant messaging platform, Arattai.

“We will be disabling the user name based account feature in Arattai, to comply with the regulatory change…” said Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu in a post.

This comes shortly after the Indian government issued a notice to WhatsApp and even asked the latter to put the feature roll-out on hold

WhatsApp recently teased a new feature called “usernames” which allows users to interact with each other without sharing their phone numbers. It also asked users to claim their unique usernames. 

The move, however, drew wide concerns with many highlighting potential risks of rise in impersonation, spam and cybercrime through Whatsapp. 

The government in its notice to WhatsApp said that the feature “may materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to solicit and message victims.”

ALSO READ: Why WhatsApp’s New Username Feature Has Raised Eyebrows

“Furthermore, this feature may facilitate impersonation and identity spoofing, including impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions, and government agencies, by permitting the adoption of usernames closely resembling those of genuine persons or institutions,” the letter added. 

In addition to seeking a detailed explanation on the new feature within three days of receiving the letter, it also directed the company not to roll out the feature until consultation on the point is achieved to the satisfaction of the government.