IndiaThe Indian government has received a written response from WhatsApp regarding its proposed 'username' feature, which allows users to hide their phone numbers. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had previously issued a notice to Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, directing it to halt the rollout of the feature. The government expressed concerns that the feature could lead to increased online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks. WhatsApp requested additional time to respond and assured the government it would not launch the feature in India until consultations were complete. The government classified WhatsApp as a 'significant social media intermediary' under the Information Technology Act, requiring it to comply with specific due diligence obligations. Similar notices were sent to other messaging apps like Telegram and Signal, though responses from these platforms have not yet been received.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a balanced account of the situation between the Indian government and WhatsApp, detailing both the government's concerns and WhatsApp's response. It does not exhibit overtly biased language or selective sourcing, maintaining a neutral tone throughout.
