July 1 : India on Wednesday directed Meta's WhatsApp to explain within three days why regulatory action should not be initiated over its planned "usernames" feature and asked the company not to roll out the feature in the country until consultations are complete, according to a government letter reviewed by Reuters.

WhatsApp has announced the introduction of usernames, a feature that will allow users to communicate without sharing their phone numbers. | India News

India may issue notice to Meta over WhatsApp usernames, amid fears the feature could fuel fraud, impersonation and clash with strict Indian cyber security rules.

Indian government issues urgent notice to Meta regarding WhatsApp's username feature, citing potential impersonation and fraud risks.