India Sends Notices to Telegram, Signal Over Username Feature

India's central government has widened its scrutiny of messaging platforms utilizing usernames by issuing official notices to both Telegram and Signal. This action comes days after WhatsApp was directed to pause the rollout of its upcoming username feature in the country.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has requested details from both platforms regarding their mechanisms for addressing fraud, impersonation, and other cybercrime risks associated with usernames. These usernames allow users to connect without disclosing their phone numbers.

Unlike WhatsApp's planned feature, both Telegram and Signal already support communication via usernames. Reports indicate the government has questioned Telegram's continued offering of the feature and sought explanations from Signal on its existing safeguards.

Amidst this regulatory attention, Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu announced that Arattai, the messaging app developed by his company, would disable its username-based account feature to comply. Concerns are centered on usernames potentially obscuring user verification, thereby facilitating phishing, impersonation, and financial scams.