Meta has submitted its response to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) regarding the proposed launch of the WhatsApp 'usernames' feature in India. The reply, which was received late on Wednesday night (8 July 2026), is currently being examined by government officials.
As per the sources who are familiar with the matter, they have confirmed that the WhatsApp response is under review as the government focuses on evaluating the privacy, security and misuse-related concerns linked to the upcoming feature.
MeitY raised privacy and security concerns
Meta’s team actually sat down with MeitY last week. The main focus was to directly ask questions about the following:
- User privacy
- Online safety
- How to stop potential misuse by scammers or cybercriminals
MeitY wanted all the details on the technical side and the safeguards Meta plans to put in place, and they set a pretty tight deadline: three days for Meta to explain everything clearly.
WhatsApp 'Usernames' feature: What does it do?
Here is the gist of the usernames feature:
- WhatsApp will let people create unique IDs starting with "@".
- That means you could add someone or chat with them via their username instead of sharing your actual phone number.
Meta says that these usernames are optional, exclusive to each account, and completely separate from your normal display name (which can still repeat).
If you do not already have someone’s phone number saved, you’d still be able to find them—or get found—by username during chats, calls, or group conversations.
Concerns over impersonation and online fraud
Of course, this is not just about convenience. There is a big debate about security, and a lot of people are nervous. Cybersecurity professionals have been worried that the malicious actors could use usernames that look like legitimate businesses, government departments, or even your friends to scam or impersonate others. That would open the door to phishing, online fraud, and all sorts of new tricks.
Meta claims that it will protect high-profile usernames, think government, public figures, top brands, so scammers cannot take those. But, honestly, people want to know how deep those protections really go.
Government to decide next steps after review
For now, the Indian government is weighing all the legal details and thinking through the next steps. MeitY’s review of Meta’s response will decide what will be next:
- Does WhatsApp get the green light for usernames in India?
- Or is there more work to be done before launch?
Either way, everyone is watching, and India is clearly set on prioritising privacy and user protection as its digital rules keep getting stricter.