{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1838059,
        "msgid": "india-urges-whatsapp-to-halt-username-feature-over-cybercrime-risks-1783047029",
        "date": "2026-07-03 09:15:00",
        "title": "India Urges WhatsApp to Halt Username Feature Over Cybercrime Risks",
        "author": "Gana Buana",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Technology",
        "summary": "The Indian government has requested WhatsApp to freeze the rollout of its new username feature, citing serious concerns it could fuel a surge in cybercrime and phishing. Authorities fear the removal of visible phone numbers will allow scammers to operate anonymously and impersonate public figures. The social media giant maintains that safeguards are in place, but the dispute threatens to delay the feature's global launch.",
        "content": "<p>WhatsApp\u2019s plan to launch a username feature later this year has hit\na major roadblock. The Indian government has formally requested the\nMeta-owned company to temporarily freeze the reservation process for\nusernames. The move stems from serious concerns that the feature could\ntrigger a surge in cybercrime, particularly fraud and phishing schemes.\nThe username feature was originally designed to enhance privacy by\nallowing users to connect without sharing their personal phone numbers.\nHowever, Indian authorities see a dangerous loophole. Without a visible\nphone number, they fear cybercriminals could operate more freely,\nevading blacklists. A primary issue highlighted is the potential for\nimpersonation of public figures. According to a report by TechCrunch,\ntesting revealed that several usernames closely resembling those of\nIndian politicians, celebrities, and public institutions were still\navailable for registration. Examples included \u2018indiamodi\u2019, referencing\nPrime Minister Narendra Modi, and \u2018shahrukh.actor\u2019, referencing\nBollywood star Shah Rukh Khan. This has sparked fears that fraudsters\ncould use such names to lend credibility to online scams. In response to\nthe concerns, Meta has asserted that it anticipated the problem. The\ncompany claims that ordinary users cannot reserve usernames belonging to\nwell-known figures, as only verified account holders have access to\nthem. Despite this, technical challenges remain. It is unclear how\neffectively WhatsApp\u2019s automatic blocking system can handle creative\nspelling variations, the use of numbers, or added words to a name. The\nmore inventive criminals become in modifying spellings, the harder it is\nfor the system to filter them perfectly. This issue poses a greater\nchallenge for WhatsApp than for other social media platforms like\nInstagram or Facebook. The personal and direct nature of WhatsApp\ncommunication makes potential scams more convincing to victims. If the\nproblem in India is not resolved promptly, it is likely to affect the\nglobal launch schedule for the username feature. While the username\nreservation process is currently ongoing for many users in various\nregions, pressure from the Indian government could force Meta to tighten\nits verification policies before the feature is fully released to the\npublic.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/india-urges-whatsapp-to-halt-username-feature-over-cybercrime-risks-1783047029",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}