New Delhi, July 1 -- The ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has directed Meta to not proceed with the rollout of the username feature on its messaging app WhatsApp over potential impersonation and cyberfraud issues, people aware of the matter said.

"The government has asked Meta to furnish a detailed explanation on the username feature within three days," a person familiar with the matter said, adding that the company has also been directed to not roll out the feature until consultations on the matter conclude.

The directive to Meta comes amid government concerns that the feature on WhatsApp could be misused to create deceptive identities, increasing the risk of fraud and other threats to public safety. Some tech...