New Delhi: A day after sending a notice to Meta-owned WhatsApp, the Government of India has also served notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking details on how the platforms address concerns related to fraud and impersonation.
Sources in the IT Ministry said the government has asked Telegram why it should be allowed to offer the username feature.
The feature allows users to create unique usernames that can be used to connect on the platform without sharing their phone numbers.
On Wednesday, the Centre issued a notice to Meta over WhatsApp's proposed username feature, citing concerns that it could materially increase online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks. It also directed WhatsApp to pause the rollout of 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.
A source told PTI that the IT Ministry has also written to Telegram and Signal — both of which already offer the username feature — asking how they address concerns related to fraud and impersonation.
"The government has asked Telegram why the feature should be there," the source said.
Telegram and Signal did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The source added that the two cases are similar but not identical. Telegram already offers the feature, while WhatsApp has only announced it. Their user bases also differ significantly, with India being WhatsApp's largest market, where it has over 500 million users, far exceeding Telegram's reach.
In its notice to WhatsApp, the government expressed concern that the proposed username feature could "materially increase" incidents of online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks by enabling bad actors to contact and deceive users.
Meta was asked to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and its rules over WhatsApp's proposed feature, which could potentially increase cybercrime. The Centre also reminded Meta that WhatsApp, as a Significant Social Media Intermediary (SSMI), is bound by due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act and its rules.
Over the past several months, Telegram has come under increased regulatory scrutiny in India over concerns related to fraud, impersonation and the 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 messaging platform, however, resumed operations in India after the government ban expired.