India Pauses WhatsApp Usernames Over Fraud Concerns

India’s government has asked WhatsApp to halt the launch of its new usernames feature. This pause will last until the authorities complete their review and consultations. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, known as MeitY, issued the order on July 2, 2026.

The ministry gave Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, just three days to explain why the feature should move forward without regulatory action. WhatsApp had announced the usernames feature only a few days earlier, on June 29, 2026. The plan was to let users reserve unique usernames on the platform.

But MeitY quickly raised concerns about fraud risks. They worry that usernames could help impersonators mimic real individuals or institutions. This could lead to identity spoofing or scams. The government cited laws like Section 79 of India’s Information Technology Act from 2000, which covers identity theft and cheating by impersonation.

WhatsApp responded by saying the feature is not yet live in India. They also said they have reserved usernames that look like public figures, government accounts, or verified Meta profiles. This is meant to stop impersonation before it starts.

A WhatsApp spokesperson explained that the username option will be optional for users. People won’t have to create a username if they don’t want to. Usernames will not be searchable like phone numbers are on the platform. WhatsApp also plans to provide safety info about new contacts, including their country and account details.

WhatsApp has built several safeguards into the feature. For example, existing Instagram and Facebook usernames are reserved for their owners. Names that resemble celebrities, government entities, or verified accounts are also protected. The company will monitor suspicious activity to prevent abuse.

Some groups, like the Internet Freedom Foundation, disagree with the government’s move. They argue that the ministry is using Section 79 to control product design, which no law actually allows. Despite the pause, the government has not permanently blocked the feature. The rollout is simply on hold until more talks happen.

This decision matters because WhatsApp has more than 3 billion users worldwide. India is one of its biggest markets. The usernames feature aims to make chatting easier by letting people share a simple, unique ID instead of phone numbers.

For now, Indian users will have to wait before they can claim usernames. The government wants to make sure the feature doesn’t open doors to scams or fake accounts. WhatsApp and Meta will need to provide more details to MeitY before this feature can move forward in India.