New Delhi:
WhatsApp, ordered by the Centre not to roll out its username feature without clarifying the matter, said today that it has put in place multiple layers of defence to address the very concerns the government has. In an exclusive interview with NDTV Profit a WhatsApp spokesperson said the really high-profile names — public figures, government entities and celebrities — have been withheld so they can be claimed by legitimate owners. Lookalike derivatives of known names have been withheld as well.
Meta has said that the username feature — which allows users to pick a username and connect without sharing their phone numbers — is “designed” to keep phone numbers private. The feature will be rolled out in stages and currently, users have only been asked to choose names.
Read: WhatsApp To Let Users Chat Without Sharing Phone Numbers Soon
Users will still require a phone number to use WhatsApp, the spokesperson said.
Among the multiple layers of defence are systems that would show common impersonation, abuse patterns and block them.
The system will also limit how many new people an account can contact and block attempts to guess someone’s username, the spokesperson said.
Users need to know the exact username to message anyone. Also, when a user is pinged via username, information on whether they are a new account, a contact, common groups, or country of origin will be displayed.
Earlier today, the government had issued a notice to WhatsApp, asking it to provide a detailed explanation on the “usernames” feature within three days. Until consultation on the matter is over, the feature cannot be rolled out, the notice said.
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Sources told NDTV that officials are checking whether the new feature can be misused to impersonate government departments, banks and other trusted institutions. The feature is also being reviewed in terms of user safety, accountability and compliance with India’s digital regulations.
Meta has been asked to explain the safeguards built into the system and how it plans to prevent impersonation and misuse.
In its notice today, the government said, “It is felt that the feature may materially increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks, by enabling bad actors to solicit and message victims”.
Read: Centre Asks Meta Not To Roll Out WhatsApp IDs Until Consultation: Sources
“Furthermore, this feature may facilitate impersonation and identity spoofing, including impersonation of individuals, public authorities, financial institutions, and government agencies, by permitting the adoption of usernames closely resembling those of genuine persons or institutions,” the notice added.
Sources said the government will take a view on the matter after examining Meta’s response and holding further consultations on the security implications of the proposed feature.
