The Indian government has asked Meta to delay the rollout of WhatsApp’s upcoming username feature in the country, citing concerns that it could fuel online fraud, phishing and impersonation scams.

According to media reports on Thursday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) urged the US technology company to put the launch on hold pending further consultations, as authorities seek to address the country’s growing cybercrime problem.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, announced on Monday that it would introduce unique usernames that allow users to connect without sharing their phone numbers, a feature designed to improve privacy.

However, Indian authorities warned that the change could make it easier for fraudsters to impersonate individuals and deceive users, particularly those with limited digital literacy.

According to the Indian Express, the ministry, in a letter to Meta, expressed concerns that the feature could contribute to a rise in online fraud, phishing attempts, digital arrest scams and identity impersonation.

“There is a possibility that bad actors may claim usernames and message other users while pretending to be someone they are not,” the newspaper quoted a senior government official as saying.

The official added that users who are not technologically aware may find it difficult to distinguish between legitimate and fraudulent accounts.

The report said the ministry has requested that Meta refrain from launching the feature in India until discussions with the government are concluded.

India is WhatsApp’s largest market, with more than 500 million users, making the country a key destination for any new product rollout.
Responding to the concerns, Meta said the username feature has not yet been launched in India and stressed that it has incorporated safeguards to reduce the risk of impersonation.

The company said it has reserved usernames associated with public figures and verified accounts to ensure they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners.

“To protect against impersonation, we’ve held the highest-profile names so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners,” Meta said in a statement.

The company also noted that users will still be required to register with a phone number to access WhatsApp and said multiple layers of protection against scams have been built into the username system.

The development comes just weeks after Meta appointed Indian fintech entrepreneur Kunal Shah as the new head of WhatsApp.

India has witnessed a sharp increase in cyber-enabled crimes in recent years as rapid digital adoption has outpaced awareness of online safety among many users.

Government data show that Indians lost nearly $3 billion to cyber fraud in 2025, almost 40 times the amount recorded in 2021, underscoring the growing scale of online financial crime in the country.

WhatsApp’s proposed username feature is already available on WeChat, the messaging platform owned by Chinese technology company Tencent.