- By Vaidika Thapa
- Thu, 02 Jul 2026 08:37 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- MeitY sends notices to Telegram and Signal. Seeks explanation on username feature security.
- Centre seeks explanation on username feature security.
- The move follows similar action against WhatsApp.
After sending a notice to WhatsApp over its proposed username feature, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has reportedly issued similar notices to Telegram and Signal.
Govt Issues Notices To Telegram, Signal
According to PTI reports, citing sources, the government has sought detailed explanations from both messaging platforms on how their username feature works, its security implications, and whether it could be misused for impersonation, fraud or other illegal activities.
Username row: After WhatsApp, IT ministry writes to Telegram, Signal, sources tell PTI pic.twitter.com/Nw6vEwUgKp
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 2, 2026
The development comes after the Centre on Wednesday issued a notice to Meta over the rollout of the 'usernames' feature on WhatsApp in India and directed it to hold the feature until consultation on the matter is over. The MEITY directed the tech major to furnish a detailed explanation on the 'usernames' feature within 3 days, according to sources cited by news agency ANI.
WhatsApp Lists Protective Measures
Officials will probe whether there are legal requirements to block the feature. If WhatsApp's response is found to be unsatisfactory, the government may ban the feature. Meanwhile, the messaging service platform has claimed they have built "multiple layers of defence against scams".
A WhatsApp spokesperson said, "The ability to use a username is not yet live and will roll out slowly later this year. To protect against impersonation, we've held the highest-profile names, think public figures, government entities, celebrities, verified Meta accounts, so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners and lookalike derivatives of known names are held as well," the statement said.