Meta-owned WhatsApp on Thursday submitted its response to the government’s notice regarding its proposed “username” feature which is currently under examination, sources said.
July 9 was the deadline set by the government for Meta to submit its response.
The Centre had issued a notice to Meta last Wednesday over the proposed rollout of the username feature on WhatsApp in India. The government directed the company not to roll out the feature until consultations on the matter were completed, citing concerns that it could materially increase incidents of online fraud, phishing, digital-arrest scams and impersonation attacks.
The username feature is designed to allow users to communicate on the messaging platform without revealing their phone numbers. The Centre had instructed WhatsApp not to introduce the feature until consultations were completed to the government’s satisfaction.
Subsequently, the messaging platform sought additional time to submit its response and assured the government that it would not roll out the feature in India until the consultations were concluded.
In its notice, the government asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules over WhatsApp’s proposed feature, which it believes may lead to an increase in cybercrime incidents. The Centre also reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, is bound by due-diligence obligations under the IT Act and the rules framed thereunder.
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