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‘Multiple layers of defence against scams’: WhatsApp defends usernames feature as govt issues notice

Public TV English
By Public TV English
5 Min Read

NEW DELHI: Hours after the government issued a notice to Meta-owned WhatsApp over the proposed rollout of the ‘username feature’, the messaging service platform claimed they have built “multiple layers of defence against scams”. The government has asked Meta not to roll out the feature until satisfactory consultation.

WhatsApp spokesperson said they have announced the option for people to reserve their preferred username on the platform. “The ability to use a username is not yet live and will roll out slowly later this year. To protect against impersonation, we’ve held the highest-profile names — think public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts — so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners and lookalike derivatives of known names are held as well”, the statement said.

“Users still require a phone number to use WhatsApp and we’ve built multiple layers of defence against scams into usernames: Other users need to know the exact username to message you, we will limit how many new people an account can contact, block repeated attempts to guess someone’s username key, and have systems to detect and remove activity showing common impersonation and abuse patterns,” the statement added.

The spokesperson said that when the feature becomes available and “someone sends you a message for the first time via your username, we will show you if they’re a new account, if they’re your contact, if you have groups in common, and if they’re based in a different country, so you can decide whether to respond”.

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Earlier on Wednesday, the government issued a notice to Meta over the proposed feature, stating that it may increase the incidence of online fraud, phishing, and digital arrest scams. The Centre expressed concern, saying that the “usernames” feature may enable “impersonation and identity spoofing,” and asked Meta to furnish a detailed explanation within three days.

“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. 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 said.

“Accordingly, you are directed to explain why regulatory action ought not to be initiated under the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) and other laws as may be applicable for launching a feature that may increase cybercrimes. You are directed to furnish a detailed explanation, supported by relevant documents, on this new feature, within three days of its receipt. You are also directed not to roll out this feature until the consultation on this point is achieved to the satisfaction of the Government,” it added.

According to Meta, a username is an “optional unique identifier you can choose for your WhatsApp account”. It starts with the @ symbol (for example, @Name123) and can be used by others to message or call a person, while keeping their phone number private. The username is different from the display name (the name that appears in your profile). The display name doesn’t have to be unique, but the username does, according to the messaging platform. (ANI)

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