WhatsApp Launched A Username Feature To Hide Your Phone Number. India Halted It.
WhatsApp launched usernames on to let users chat without sharing their number. Soon after, India ordered a halt, demanding Meta justify the feature or face further action.
- WhatsApp launched usernames globally on July 2, 2026, enabling users to chat without sharing their phone number, a move that took over two years to develop.
- India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) halted the feature within hours, citing potential violations of the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
- India is WhatsApp's largest market with over 500 million users, representing roughly 20% of the app's global user base.