New Delhi, July 10: Meta and Telegram have submitted their defense of upcoming username features to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, addressing official concerns over rising cybercrime. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that both companies filed their responses on Thursday, satisfying a deadline that had been extended by four days to accommodate an administrative request from WhatsApp. Signal, which received an identical government notice earlier this month, has yet to reply to enquiries.
The official intervention was triggered by fears over how structural changes to messaging apps could impact ordinary users. The ministry sent out formal notices on July 1 and July 3, warning that shifting away from phone numbers toward username-based messaging could spike instances of digital fraud, phishing, and identity theft. In these notices, authorities directed the platforms to clarify the exact safety mechanisms built into their new interfaces to protect citizen security.
In a statement addressing the security gaps, a Meta spokesperson asserted that strict penalties will be applied to bad actors who misuse the system. The spokesperson stated, “The company will ban accounts or revoke usernames if they find evidence of identity impersonation or scams.” Meta added that it plans to protect user identity across its ecosystem by reserving existing Instagram and Facebook usernames for their rightful owners during the rollout’s initial phase.
The tech conglomerate is also deploying preemptive restrictions to protect high-profile profiles from being duplicated by scammers. Company representatives declared that usernames belonging to public figures, government entities, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts will be tightly restricted. This protocol will also cover potential lookalike variations, ensuring that only verified, legitimate owners can claim these specific digital handles.
