New Delhi, July 2 -- Chairman of the International Commission on Cyber Security Law, Pawan Duggal, on Thursday warned that WhatsApp's proposed username feature can open a Pandora's box of privacy violations if it fails to strictly comply with India's stringent new data protection regime.

Speaking to ANI, Duggal said that WhatsApp must ensure that its username feature is compliant with the Information Technology Act 2000, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, and the DPDP Rules 2025.

"The concern of the government is very clear: it does not want Indians to be made guinea pigs in the laboratories of big tech companies. The Supreme Court in the case of Justice Puttaswamy has categorically held that your fundamental right to privac...