New Delhi [India], July 1 : The government is examining the legal implications of Meta-owned WhatsApp's proposed username feature and may issue a legal notice to the company if it finds the feature poses risks of impersonation, government sources told ANI.
According to government sources, authorities will look into the legal mechanisms available to potentially block the feature if required.
"The government will look into WhatsApp's username feature over impersonation concerns. It will look into legal mechanisms to possibly block feature also the legality of WhatsApp's username feature. If feature is found risk-prone, the government could send legal notice to Meta," a source said.
The move comes amid concerns that the feature could make impersonation easier if adequate safeguards are not in place, the sources said.
Meta-owned WhatsApp recently proposed a username reservation feature that is currently under development and being tested. The feature is not yet available to users globally.
Once rolled out, the feature is expected to allow users to reserve unique usernames for their accounts, enabling people to connect by searching for and sharing usernames instead of phone numbers. WhatsApp has said the feature is aimed at providing users with an additional layer of privacy and convenience.
However, government sources said the feature will be examined from a legal and user safety perspective before it can be rolled out widely.
The username reservation system is learnt to be in the testing phase, and WhatsApp has not announced a timeline for its global rollout.