The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) on Thursday issued notices to messaging platforms Telegram and Signal over their existing 'username' feature, reported news agency PTI citing sources. The development comes a day after a similar notice was sent to Meta-owned instant messaging mobile application WhatsApp.
In its notice, the Meity said Telegram and Signal have been asked why they should be allowed to have the username feature, which allows users to create unique usernames to connect on the platforms without sharing mobile numbers. The two platforms have also been asked about how they are addressing concerns around fraud and impersonation.
Meta was issued a notice on Wednesday, seeking a response over its new 'username' feature for WhatsApp, which the government feared could be used for "identity spoofing and impersonation". Meta was asked to submit an explanation within three days and not to roll out the feature till it gives satisfactory response to the IT ministry.
The notice was issued under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) and other laws.
"This feature may facilitate impersonation and identity spoofing, including impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions, and government agencies, by permitting the adoption of usernames closely resembling those of genuine persons or institutions," the notice read.
Later, WhatsApp said it has taken steps to prevent scams and impersonation, while pointing that users would still need phone number to use its platform. It also said WhatsApp will show whether a first-time sender is a new account, contact, mutual group member or from another country before users respond.
"Other users need to know the exact username to message you. We will limit how many new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone's username key, and have systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns," the Meta-owned company said in a statement.
Coming to Telegram, the platform has been under government's scrutiny for a while. Last month, a week-long banned was imposed on the platform amid fears that it could be used for circulation of leaked and fake National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination papers. The services returned later, though, after the ban ended on June 22.
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