New Delhi, July 9 -- Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its response to the Centre's notice over its proposed "username" feature, and the Information Technology Ministry is examining the reply, sources said on Thursday. The government had issued the notice on July 1, raising concerns that the feature could lead to more online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks. The feature would allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers. The Centre had directed WhatsApp not to launch it until consultations were completed to the government's satisfaction.
After seeking additional time to respond, WhatsApp assured the government it would not roll out the feature in India until discussions concluded. There was no official statement from WhatsApp on the submission made to the ministry on Thursday.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.