Indian government reviews WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal usernames over impersonation risk
The Indian government is taking a closer look at WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal's new username features, which let you chat without sharing your phone number.
Officials are worried these could make it easier for scammers to impersonate people or pull off phishing and identity theft.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal for answers, and Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says we will know about any new rules within 20 days.
MeitY legal review and parity pledge
MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan shared that responses from all three apps are being reviewed by a legal team to see if any rules were broken or if new ones are needed.
The government promises that any changes will apply equally to all messaging platforms, no favorites or exceptions.
This is part of a bigger push to keep online spaces safer for everyone in India.