New Delhi : India's IT Ministry is intensifying its regulatory oversight on major messaging platforms like Telegram and Signal, demanding answers on how their username features mitigate growing concerns over online fraud, phishing, and impersonation risks.
India's IT Ministry has issued notices to Telegram and Signal regarding their username features, citing concerns about fraud and impersonation.
This action follows a similar notice to WhatsApp, which was asked to pause its planned username feature.
The government is questioning how these platforms address the risks of online fraud, phishing, and impersonation attacks.
Homegrown messaging app Arattai has already disabled its username-based account feature to comply with regulatory changes.
Telegram has previously faced regulatory scrutiny and a temporary ban in India over content moderation issues.
After sending a notice to Meta-owned WhatsApp, the IT Ministry has now shot off notices to Telegram and Signal, raising questions on their existing username feature and asking how the platforms are addressing concerns related to fraud and impersonation risks, according to a source.
The source said that in the notice to Telegram, the government has asked the platform why it should be allowed to have the username feature.
The feature allows users to create unique usernames that can be used for connecting on the platform without sharing phone numbers.
Government Expands Scrutiny Beyond WhatsApp : On Wednesday, the Centre issued a notice to Meta over the username feature announced for WhatsApp, citing concerns that it could materially increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks.
It had also directed WhatsApp to pause the feature until consultations on the issue are completed "to the satisfaction of the Government".
The government has now widened its scrutiny to other messaging platforms as well. The source told PTI that the IT ministry has also written to Telegram and Signal -- which already have the username feature -- and asked how concerns around fraud and impersonation are being addressed by them.
"Government has asked Telegram why the feature should be there," the source said. Telegram and Signal could not be reached for their comments.
Industry Response And Regulatory Compliance : Meanwhile, Zoho-backed homegrown messaging platform Arattai will be disabling the username-based account feature "to comply with the regulatory change", according to a X post by prominent Indian founder Sridhar Vembu. The government source added that the two cases are similar, but not identical.
Telegram already has the feature in place, while WhatsApp has only announced it. The user bases also differ significantly, with India being WhatsApp's largest market and the platform having over 500 million users in the country, far exceeding Telegram's reach.
Concerns Over Online Fraud And User Safety : In its notice to WhatsApp, the government had expressed concern that the proposed username feature may "materially increase" cases of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams, and impersonation attacks by enabling bad actors to solicit and message victims.
Meta was asked to explain why action shouldn't be initiated under the IT Act and rules over WhatsApp's new feature that may increase cybercrimes.
The Centre also reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, was bound by due diligence obligations under the IT Act and rules.
WhatsApp, in a statement, had defended the feature, citing built-in safeguards to prevent scams and impersonations and protect users.
That was followed by a detailed set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) posted on social media that outlined details of the feature, the safeguards built in, and its plans to address concerns around impersonation, scams and unwanted contact as users begin reserving usernames.
Telegram's Past Regulatory Challenges In India : Over the past months, Telegram has come under the regulatory lens in India with rising concerns related to fraud, impersonation and circulation of sensitive content.
The Indian government had imposed a week-long ban on Telegram and its associated web services until June 22, citing the platform's failure to curb the circulation of leaked and fake National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination papers, misleading content and other fraudulent activities linked to the country's medical entrance examination process.
The instant messaging platform, however, returned to service in India after the government ban expired.
