Wire · founder news, decoded · regulatory
MeitY yet to receive Meta's response on WhatsApp usernames as deadline ends today
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) awaits Meta's response on WhatsApp's proposed username feature by July 9 deadline, citing concerns over fraud, phishing, impersonation and digital arrest scams. The government has demanded Meta pause rollout in India pending safety consultations and threatened enforcement action under IT Act if cybercrime risks are not adequately addressed.
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The Wire takeaway
India is establishing strict precedent on fintech feature rollouts—enforcement action imminent if Meta's safety response is inadequate, signaling tightened regulatory oversight of identity/communication features across messaging platforms and broader regional implications for product launches.
Read the full story at storyboard18.com →
Topics: Fintech · regulatory-enforcement · whatsapp-feature-pause · cybercrime-risk · india-meity · intermediary-rules · digital-identity