WhatsApp announced this week that users of the messaging app can now reserve their usernames. The new functionality should be available to everyone by the end of the year.
The proposal is to allow people to associate their account with a username, without having to share their phone number with strangers. According to Meta, owner of WhatsApp, the measure aims to reinforce security and privacy within the platform.
The news, however, did not please everyone. In India, the government has expressed concern about possible risks involving scams and fraud.
According to the website TechCrunch, Indian regulators and cybersecurity experts believe that the arrival of usernames could make it easier for criminals to operate on the platform. Therefore, the Indian government asked WhatsApp to suspend the launch of the feature.
According to the publication, the request was made by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. The concern is that malicious people use usernames to impersonate public figures, politicians and well-known personalities, with the aim of carrying out scams.
In response, WhatsApp stated that the phone number will continue to be necessary to create and maintain an account on the app. The company also said it has reserved usernames linked to public figures, so that they can only be used by legitimate holders.
"People are making false claims about the ability to reserve popular or well-known usernames," WhatsApp said in a post on social network X. "This is not true. Only legitimate account holders are able to reserve well-known names of public figures."
Username reservations are here, as more and more people claim theirs, here’s answers to the top questions you’re asking ??Q: Are usernames mandatory?A: Nope, they are optional.Q: What if the username I want isn’t available?A: There’s a few reasons you might not be able to…
Read Also: After 7 years at the helm of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart is leaving. "Pride"
Privacy nightmare? WhatsApp guarantees security of new functionality
The application started to allow the reservation of usernames, a feature that in the future could replace the phone number for adding contacts. After criticism, WhatsApp stated that there will be no public directory or profile suggestions
