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Representatives of Meta met officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday following the government's notice over the proposed rollout of the "usernames" feature on WhatsApp in India, sources said.
According to sources, ministry officials apprised Meta of the government's concerns regarding the feature during the meeting. As the company has been given three days to furnish a detailed explanation, Meta will submit its final response within the stipulated timeline. Earlier this week, the Union Government issued a notice to Meta directing it to provide a detailed explanation on the proposed "usernames" feature within three days. According to sources, the government has also directed Meta not to roll out the feature in India until consultations on the matter are completed. The move comes after privacy and safety concerns were raised over the feature, particularly regarding the possibility of impersonation and misuse. According to Meta, a username is an optional and unique identifier that users can choose for their WhatsApp account. Beginning with the "@" symbol, the username can be used by others to message or call a user without revealing the person's phone number. Meta has said the username is different from a display name, which appears on a user's profile. While display names do not have to be unique, usernames are unique to each account. The company also stated that people who do not have a user's phone number saved will see the username by default when interacting through direct messages, calls or group chats. Certain usernames will be reserved for businesses, governments and public figures and cannot be claimed by others. However, internet users and domain experts have raised concerns that the feature could allow cybercriminals to create usernames resembling those of individuals, organisations or government officials, increasing the risk of impersonation and fraud. According to government sources, authorities are examining the legal implications of the feature and the available legal mechanisms to address concerns if required. The outcome of the consultations and Meta's response to the government's notice are expected to determine the next course of action regarding the rollout of the feature in India. (ANI)
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