India Considers Uniform Rules for Messaging Platforms Amid Feature Row

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is reportedly developing uniform standards for messaging platforms, a move spurred by discussions around WhatsApp's new username feature. The proposed regulations aim to ensure consistent oversight of social media functionalities and establish a legal basis for managing feature rollouts.

A government official stated that the common standards would govern social media features and provide legal backing to halt the deployment of specific offerings. This initiative seeks to close a regulatory gap that permits rivals to introduce features while certain platforms face restrictions over similar functionalities.

The ministry has raised concerns about the potential misuse of WhatsApp's username feature, citing risks such as impersonation, online fraud, and scams. Officials believe that the widespread use of usernames could complicate investigations and increase the likelihood of anonymous contact with users.

The development follows responses submitted by WhatsApp and Telegram to notices issued by MeitY. Signal has also received a similar notice. Meanwhile, Zoho's messaging platform Arattai has announced the disabling of its username feature to comply with regulatory changes.

WhatsApp's global username feature allows users to communicate without sharing phone numbers. Meta, the platform's parent company, argues it enhances privacy and reduces risks of phone number harvesting. However, Indian authorities have requested detailed explanations and paused the feature's rollout in India pending further consultations.