Meta-owned WhatsApp has released a detailed set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on its upcoming username feature, outlining the safeguards it plans to implement to prevent impersonation, frauds and unwanted contact as users begin reserving usernames ahead of the feature’s rollout later this year.
The clarification came a day after the Centre issued a notice to Meta, asking it to furnish a detailed explanation on the feature within three days. Expressing concerns over potential fraud and impersonation risks associated with the feature, the government advised the company not to roll it out until consultations with the government were completed to its satisfaction.
The new feature will allow users to connect on WhatsApp using unique usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers. According to WhatsApp, the feature would be optional and unsearchable by strangers. The company also said users could add an additional ‘username key’, requiring both the username and the key before someone could contact them.
To curb impersonation, WhatsApp said it had reserved names of public figures, celebrities, government entities and Meta-verified accounts so that they could only be claimed by their legitimate owners. Users who wished to use the same username as their Instagram or Facebook account could do so by linking the accounts to verify ownership, after which they could unlink them if they chose, it said.
The platform also said it would closely monitor ‘blocks and reports’ to detect and act against scammers, while cautioning that claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames were false. Only legitimate account owners could claim protected names, it said.
