WhatsApp has started rolling out usernames that will let people contact each other through chosen handles rather than phone numbers. Meta has presented this as a privacy advancement, but security researchers and regulators in India have raised concerns about impersonation dangers. Testing showed that desirable usernames closely resembling prominent Indian politicians, entertainers, and financial institutions remained unreserved and available to claim, exposing gaps in Meta's purported safeguards.

India's electronics ministry formally warned WhatsApp that the feature could enable fraud and impersonation of banks, government bodies, and public figures, and requested the company delay rollout until the government completed its review. The government intervention has triggered debate over regulatory approach: whilst acknowledging genuine fraud risks, digital rights organisations contend that private ministerial notices lack clear legal authority and grant officials excessive discretionary control over technology companies' product decisions.