The final stance of the Ministry will be disclosed after a comprehensive review of these submissions.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology is currently evaluating responses from major messaging platforms regarding their username features. IT Secretary S. Krishnan confirmed on Monday that the government has received replies from platforms including WhatsApp and Telegram following notices issued in early July.

The government initiated this scrutiny after flagging concerns that features allowing users to communicate without sharing phone numbers could inadvertently facilitate cybercrime. Officials highlighted that such anonymity might increase the risks of impersonation, identity theft, phishing, and the growing threat of digital arrest scams.

WhatsApp, which commands a massive user base of 500 million in India, had been explicitly directed to pause the rollout of its proposed username feature until the government is satisfied with the proposed security safeguards. Similar notices were sent to Telegram and Signal to understand how they manage these risks within their existing infrastructure.

While some platforms have now submitted their explanations, the Ministry has emphasized that it requires adequate time to conduct a thorough examination. The government maintains that these measures are essential to ensure the safety of digital infrastructure and to protect citizens from sophisticated online fraud tactics that exploit anonymous communication.

The final stance of the Ministry will be disclosed after a comprehensive review of these submissions. This ongoing dialogue marks a critical step toward establishing uniform regulatory standards for messaging services to ensure they remain secure environments for all users.