Zoho's Arattai drops username feature
What's the story
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu has announced that Arattai, the company's messaging platform, will be removing its username-based account feature. The decision comes after the Indian government's order to Meta to stop the rollout of WhatsApp's planned username feature in India. The government has asked Meta not to launch this feature until it consults with authorities and addresses concerns over cybersecurity and online fraud.
Compliance
'We will be disabling username-based account feature'
In light of the government's stance on digital identity and online safety, Vembu took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce Arattai's decision. He wrote, "We will be disabling the username-based account feature in Arattai, to comply with the regulatory change. Thank you." This makes Arattai one of the first messaging platforms to publicly respond to the Centre's latest stance on username-based identities.
Security risks
Government's concerns regarding potential misuse and traceability issues
The Indian government is worried that usernames could be misused by fraudsters to impersonate banks, government agencies, businesses, and public figures. This could lead to an increase in phishing attacks, financial frauds, and digital arrest scams. The authorities also flagged traceability issues under India's telecom and cybersecurity framework where SIM-based verification is a critical layer of protection.
Information request
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) demands details
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked Meta to provide a detailed technical description of the feature, including its design, safety measures, and fraud prevention mechanisms within three days. The government also reminded the company of its responsibilities under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Feature clarification
WhatsApp clarifies on username feature rollout status
WhatsApp has clarified that the username feature is in the reservation phase and hasn't been activated for messaging yet. The company insists that verified phone numbers will continue to be mandatory for account creation. Meta also emphasized safeguards such as reserved usernames for government entities and public figures, protection against lookalike usernames, optional username PINs, contextual information for first-time messages, and limits on unsolicited outreach.
Feature withdrawal
Implications for other messaging platforms and digital communication landscape
Vembu's announcement comes as a response to the regulatory scrutiny that is already affecting other messaging platforms. The decision reflects the growing influence of government oversight on the evolution of digital communication tools in India. As authorities continue to balance user privacy with law enforcement needs, the future of anonymous digital identities on messaging apps will likely remain under close examination.