Centre issues notice to Meta over new WhatsApp feature, flags ‘fraud, phishing’ concerns

The government on Wednesday issued a notice to WhatsApp seeking a detailed explanation of a newly announced feature, which allows users to reserve unique usernames and connect without sharing phone numbers, saying it would raise the risks of impersonation, identity theft and digital fraud on the Meta-owned messaging platform.

WhatsApp should hold off from rolling out the feature until consultations on the matter were completed and furnish the explanation within three days, the Union ministry of electronics and information technology said in the notice, seen by HT.