MeitY sent a notice to WhatsApp on Wednesday requesting a three-day response and a pause on full rollout of the username feature. The notice cites risks of increased fraud and impersonation when phone numbers are hidden. WhatsApp's reservation phase remains open and the feature has not yet launched.
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Read at The Hindu →No center sources covered this
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Read at Hindustan Times →The notice is viewed as an effort to preserve state-linked surveillance rather than neutral safety regulation.
“Privacy protections for activists and marginalized users versus fraud concerns”
The notice is viewed as necessary pushback to prioritize accountability and public safety over anonymity.
“Ordered liberty and law-enforcement access versus Silicon Valley defaults”
The notice is viewed as regulatory interference with individual control over personal data.
“User choice and voluntary association versus bureaucratic risk assessment”
All three views accept the privacy-safety binary while overlooking that usernames remain tied to verified phone numbers internally.
“Technical linkage details and selective focus on smaller platforms”
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