Modi government mulls common rules for usernames across messaging platforms
What's the story
The Indian government is considering a unified regulatory framework for username-based identities on messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, as per Moneycontrol. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is currently reviewing the responses from these platforms to understand their username features and security measures against impersonation. This comes after MeitY raised concerns over potential impersonation risks with WhatsApp's proposed username feature, which would allow users to chat without revealing their phone numbers.
Rollout delay
WhatsApp postpones username feature launch
In light of the government's concerns, WhatsApp has submitted its response to MeitY's notice and postponed the launch of its username feature until the review is completed.
The company is now awaiting further directions from the ministry on how to proceed with this feature.
Meanwhile, Telegram and Signal have also submitted their explanations regarding their respective username features as part of this review process.
Legal assessment
Review considers common framework for all messaging platforms
Officials are now examining whether the existing legal provisions are adequate or if new measures need to be introduced for a common framework across platforms.
This would mean that instead of dealing with each service separately, there would be a uniform set of rules governing username-based identities across all messaging apps.
The outcome of this review will determine the future regulatory approach for these platforms in India.