WhatsApp's new username feature, letting users connect without sharing phone numbers, has sparked warnings from Ankur Warikoo and Dhruv Rathee over rising impersonation and scam risks in India. Warikoo cited fake accounts mimicking public figures, while Rathee criticised Meta's track record on curbing fraud across its platforms, as the feature heads for wider rollout.

WhatsApp's rollout of usernames, positioned by the company as one of its biggest privacy updates in years, has drawn sharp warnings from entrepreneur Ankur Warikoo and YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, who cautioned that the feature could open the door to a fresh wave of impersonation scams in India. The messaging platform announced that users can now reserve usernames, letting people connect without sharing their phone numbers, with wider rollout planned later this year.

What has WhatsApp announced?

WhatsApp said the update is designed to give users greater privacy by allowing them to connect and be contacted without revealing their phone numbers. The company said reserving a username takes only a few seconds, with the feature opening for reservations this week ahead of a broader rollout later in the year.

Warikoo warns of impersonation risk