India Asks Meta To Delay New WhatsApp Username Feature Rollout

The Indian government has asked Meta to suspend the rollout of WhatsApp’s new username feature in the country, citing fears that it could fuel online fraud, phishing and identity impersonation.
The request comes as authorities intensified efforts to combat a sharp rise in cybercrime, with scammers increasingly taking advantage of low levels of digital literacy among millions of internet users.
LEADERSHIP reports that Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp , announced earlier this week that the messaging platform would introduce unique usernames, allowing users to connect without sharing their phone numbers. The company said the feature was aimed at improving user privacy and is expected...