WhatsApp Username Feature: Indian government is now reviewing WhatsApp’s recently revealed username function and might serve a formal notice to its parent company Meta. It has shown concerns that the new addition could foster more online scams and impersonation attempts.
As per numerous reports, the officials are concerned that the feature might aid criminals in their attempt to disguise themselves. A concern that was earlier raised for anonymous usernames on various other messaging applications.
WhatsApp Username Feature: Why Is The Center Worried?
The concern of government officials seems to stem from the fact that the provision to use a username in lieu of a phone number can lead to new forms of scams and frauds such as:
- Identity impersonation
- Financial fraud & phishing scams
- Fake customer support accounts
- Identity of cyber criminals hard to track
- Online harassment & social engineering scams.
The government officials are also of the opinion that this could be a problem of a similar magnitude as that of anonymous usernames on various applications, which have been exploited. “Telegram has become the new dark web, linking threat actors,” the Centre told the court. They seem to believe that even though privacy is paramount, the new technology shouldn’t compromise public security.
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What Is The New Feature On Whatsapp?
Meta announced on June 29 that WhatsApp will gradually enable users worldwide to connect with one another via unique usernames. Instead of needing your phone number, users can get in touch with others using their usernames. According to WhatsApp, usernames are a feature that can be between 3-35 letters in length and come with a few important attributes: There will not be a directory of public usernames.
For creators, businesses and organisations, WhatsApp will offer the option to claim the same username they already use on Instagram or Facebook for consistency. Other users who want matching usernames across Meta’s platforms will need to link their accounts through Meta’s Accounts Centre.
Users need to know the exact username to start contact with a user. A username key will provide an extra layer of protection to the first conversation. The new feature will allow users to not share their phone number initially if they connect using their username.
WhatsApp Response
WhatsApp said that with a purpose of making it harder for someone to impersonate an individual, it is reserving usernames for prominent personalities and public figures, such as government and celebrities. It says WhatsApp has “multiple layers of defense in place” to detect abuse. They are providing an optional username key for extra protection. It will be not having an index or a searchable username list so people cannot find each other based on their username alone.
WhatsApp has said that the end-to-end encryption has not been changed in the new feature. It’s recommending users to select strong, unique usernames and share it with only people they trust.
What To Expect?
The username reservation is now being started in several places of the world and is expected to be rolled out to all users in the next few months. The acceptance of the username feature in India will probably depend on the review by the government and talks held with Meta about the safeguards to be implemented.
