WhatsApp stops major update over scam fears – what we know

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWhatsApp has been forced to pause a major update (AFP via Getty Images)WhatsApp has paused the rollout of a new feature that would allow users to choose a username instead of a phone number, following security concerns raised by regulators. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered the suspension, fearing the update could significantly increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks. The messaging app had initially presented the username feature as a privacy enhancement, aiming to protect users' phone numbers from being shared with unknown contacts in group chats. Indian authorities, representing WhatsApp's largest market with over 850 million users, intervened despite WhatsApp's assurances that users would still require a phone number and that systems were in place to detect abuse. WhatsApp stated it had reserved high-profile names for legitimate owners and implemented measures such as limiting new contacts and blocking repeated attempts to guess usernames to combat impersonation and abuse patterns. In fullWhatsApp forced to halt its biggest ever updateMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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