Amid govt scrutiny, WhatsApp says usernames optional, popular names reserved for legitimate owners

WhatsApp on Thursday sought to address concerns around its upcoming username feature, saying the platform has built multiple safeguards to prevent impersonation and scams.

In a post on X, WhatsApp said usernames are not mandatory and users can continue using the platform without creating one.

The Meta-owned messaging platform also clarified that many popular or well-known usernames are unavailable because they have been reserved for their legitimate owners.

“We’ve held well-known names and some variations of them - like public figures, celebrities, government entities and Meta-verified accounts - so they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners. If you try to reserve those, the system will say it’s not available,” WhatsApp said.

The clarification comes after the government raised concerns that the feature could lead to an increase in impersonation, phishing, online fraud and so-called "digital arrest" scams.

On Wednesday, the Centre issued a notice to Meta asking it to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and related rules over the feature, and directed the company not to roll it out until consultations are completed "to the satisfaction of the Government".

It has also sought a detailed explanation on the feature within three days.

Responding to concerns over impersonation, WhatsApp said usernames will not be searchable, just as phone numbers cannot currently be searched on the platform.

According to WhatsApp, when username-based messaging is introduced later this year, users receiving a first message from an unknown person will be shown information such as the sender's country, whether the account is new and whether both users share any common groups before deciding whether to respond.

The company also said users can enable an optional "username key", which will require anyone trying to contact them through a username to know both the username and the unique key.

"The best way to prevent someone from contacting you is to add a username key and to choose a username that is unique to WhatsApp," the company said. “"You can reset your key at any time to stop new inbound contact through your username.”

WhatsApp said users will also be able to change their usernames later, subject to availability.

Addressing reports that some people were claiming popular usernames in advance, the company said such claims were false.

"Only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names," it said.

The platform said it enabled username reservations ahead of the feature's rollout later this year because "we think people will feel strongly about what username they want on WhatsApp."

"We're taking our time and listening to feedback so that when it rolls out later this year we get it right," the company said.

WhatsApp plans to introduce usernames to allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers, saying the feature is intended to improve privacy, particularly in group chats and conversations with new contacts.

India is WhatsApp's largest market, with more than 500 million users.