The Centre has widened its scrutiny of username-based messaging platforms by sending notices to Telegram and Signal, days after directing WhatsApp to pause the rollout of its upcoming username feature in India. 

According to a PTI report, the IT ministry (MeitY) has sought details from both platforms on how they address fraud, impersonation and other cybercrime risks linked to usernames, which allow users to connect without sharing their phone numbers. 

Unlike WhatsApp, both Telegram and Signal already support username-based messaging. Per report, the government has asked Telegram why it should continue offering the feature and has sought similar explanations from Signal on the safeguards it has in place. 

Amid the scrutiny, Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu has said that Arattai, the messaging app built by the SaaS giant, would disable the username-based account feature to comply with the regulatory change.

The move comes a day after MeitY directed WhatsApp to halt the rollout of its username feature in India until consultations with the government are completed. The ministry had also given the Meta-owned platform three days to explain how the feature would prevent misuse, particularly fraud and impersonation.

The government’s concerns stem from the possibility that usernames could make it harder for users to verify who they are speaking to, potentially making phishing, impersonation and financial scams easier to execute.

WhatsApp has maintained that the feature is optional and still requires users to register with a phone number. The company has also said usernames will not be searchable through a public directory and will include safeguards against impersonation and mass discovery.

The latest notices indicate that the government’s review is no longer limited to WhatsApp and could extend to all major messaging platforms that use usernames instead of phone numbers as the primary way for users to identify each other.

The latest scrutiny also comes weeks after Telegram came under regulatory action in India over cybercrime concerns.

Last month, MeitY temporarily restricted access to the platform until June 22 ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination after authorities alleged organised cheating networks used Telegram channels to sell fake exam papers, spread misinformation and exploit the platform’s message-editing feature to fabricate evidence of paper leaks. 

The action followed recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), with operational support from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which also coordinated the takedown of multiple Telegram channels, groups and bots allegedly linked to the fraud. 

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