Meta defends WhatsApp usernames after India warns feature could raise cybercrime

According to CNBC, Meta Platforms defended WhatsApp’s planned rollout of usernames after the Indian government said the move could increase cybercrime, including online fraud, phishing, “digital arrest” scams and impersonation attacks. Meta said users will still need a phone number to use WhatsApp and that it has built safeguards including limits on how many new people an account can contact, blocks on repeated attempts to guess usernames, and systems to detect and remove activity linked to impersonation or abuse; it also said the username feature is not live and will be rolled out “slowly later this year.” Citing Indian news agency ANI, CNBC reported that the government gave WhatsApp three days to provide a detailed explanation or face action under India’s information technology regulations, and directed the company to pause the rollout until concerns are addressed. CNBC also cited Indian government data showing cybercrime incidents more than doubled in 2024 to nearly 2.3 million cases from 1 million cases in 2022, and noted India has more than half a billion WhatsApp users.