- | 3:35 pm
After WhatsApp, India sends notices to Telegram, Signal
The government is widening its review of privacy features on messaging apps, asking Telegram and Signal how they prevent misuse of usernames for scams and impersonation
India has widened its scrutiny of username-based messaging, issuing notices to Telegram and Signal after asking WhatsApp to pause the rollout of a similar feature, Reuters reported.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked Telegram and Signal to explain what safeguards they have against misuse of usernames for impersonation, phishing, online fraud and “digital arrest” scams, the report said.
Telegram and Signal have allowed users to communicate through usernames for years.
The notices suggest the government is examining similar features across messaging platforms, not just WhatsApp’s planned rollout.
Earlier this week, MeitY asked Meta to halt the rollout of WhatsApp usernames in India and submit an explanation within three days.
The feature allows users to connect without sharing phone numbers, a privacy measure that the government fears could make it harder to identify fraudsters.
The notices do not amount to a ban but signal a closer review of how messaging apps prevent misuse when users can communicate without exposing phone numbers.
The move comes amid wider government concern over online fraud and anonymity on digital platforms.
Digital rights group Internet Freedom Foundation has criticized MeitY’s action against WhatsApp, questioning the legal basis for ordering a pause before the feature is fully rolled out.
Statement on MeitY’s notices widen an unconstitutional dragnet over privacy features
New Delhi, 2 July 2026
A day after its notice to WhatsApp on the usernames feature, as per press reports MeitY has today evening sent the same kind of notice to Telegram and Signal, asking each… https://t.co/DL24Yvty2N
— Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (@internetfreedom) July 2, 2026
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