India Asks WhatsApp to Halt Username Feature

The order, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, demands that WhatsApp justify the feature and halt its rollout in India, its largest market.

Meta, which owns WhatsApp, has defended the feature, saying usernames are safeguarded against scams.

The government's action comes amid a broader crackdown on messaging anonymity and reflects growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech.

The confrontation could set a precedent for how other countries regulate encrypted platforms.