The Indian government has sought explanations from WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal regarding their username features, citing serious concerns about potential impersonation and cybercrime. IT Secretary S Krishnan highlighted the risks, leading to notices being served to these platforms, with WhatsApp specifically asked to pause its rollout of the feature.
Messaging platform Telegram has submitted its reply to the IT Ministry's notice regarding its 'username' feature, which allows users to communicate without sharing phone numbers, following a similar submission by WhatsApp.
The Indian government has issued a notice to Meta regarding WhatsApp's upcoming username feature, warning the platform not to roll it out until concerns about potential fraud, impersonation, and public safety are addressed to the government's satisfaction.
India's IT Ministry has issued notices to Telegram and Signal, following a similar action against WhatsApp, questioning their username features due to concerns over increased online fraud, phishing, and impersonation. The government is seeking explanations on how these platforms address such risks, with one homegrown app already disabling the feature.
WhatsApp has released detailed FAQs on its upcoming username feature, outlining measures to address concerns around impersonation, scams, and unwanted contact, amidst government scrutiny.
Meta-owned WhatsApp has submitted its reply to the government's notice on the "username" feature and the response is being examined, sources said on Thursday.
WhatsApp is introducing an optional username feature, allowing users to connect and chat without needing to share their phone numbers. This privacy-focused update will roll out gradually, enabling users to reserve unique usernames and offering greater control over personal information, especially in group chats or when interacting with businesses.
Meta-owned WhatsApp has been granted more time to submit its response on the contentious 'username' feature and assured the government that it will not roll it out in India until discussions are complete, according to sources.
WhatsApp has asserted that username reservation relating to well-known public figure names is restricted only to their legitimate account owners, and termed as "false" any claims that people are reserving popular or well-known usernames.
WhatsApp is testing new ways for users in India to confirm their age as it prepares to comply with upcoming legal requirements, including those related to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, the Meta-owned messaging platform said on Tuesday.
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has sought an explanation from WhatsApp regarding its username feature, citing concerns over potential cybercrime facilitation. Concurrently, the ministry is investigating reported data leak allegations involving Tata Electronics, a key supplier for Apple's iPhone components in India. MeitY is also exploring techno-legal solutions for VPNs to address challenges posed by unregistered providers operating from outside India.
India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has directed officials to summon Meta regarding Instagram ads promoting child sexual abuse material, following a BBC investigation. This action comes shortly after the government also questioned Meta about WhatsApp's planned username feature, citing concerns over increased online fraud and cybercrimes.
The government has issued a stern notice to Meta on Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) in paid advertisements on Instagram, sources said on Sunday.
The Indian government has issued a notice to Telegram, demanding a crackdown on the widespread dissemination of pirated films and OTT content. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seeks an Action Taken Report within 15 days, emphasizing a shift towards platform accountability for copyright infringement, which is deemed a criminal offence.
The Indian government has summoned Meta's global head of public policy after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post, addressing youth and promising action against paper leaks, was temporarily removed. Meta attributed the removal to a 'glitch' in its automated content filters, an explanation the government deems insufficient, demanding further discussions.
WhatsApp is finally letting you hide your phone number behind a custom username. While it's a massive win for privacy, cybersecurity experts warn it could unleash a wave of identity scams. Here is what you need to know.
The government on Tuesday summoned a top Meta executive after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent post addressing India's youth and promising stringent measures against paper leaks was briefly restricted by Facebook, and although the US-headquartered social media giant blamed it on a technical glitch and apologised, the IT Ministry found the explanation "inadequate".
Meta's new Muse Image AI generator, which can create AI images from public Instagram accounts without explicit consent, has sparked significant privacy concerns and criticism over its 'opt-in-by-default' approach, raising fears of deepfakes and online impersonation.
The Delhi High Court has upheld the Indian government's decision to temporarily restrict access to Telegram, citing the messaging app's capacity for 'automated dissemination' of large content, which could facilitate misinformation during the crucial NEET-UG retest.
Investors will be able to authenticate if the entity receiving the payment is a valid entity under the ambit of Sebi.
Did you know that you could tag people on Twitter? Or that you could download your friends' profile photos on WhatsApp?
In a recent blogpost, Google said hijackers routinely attempt to sign in to sites across the web with credentials exposed by third-party breaches. If netizens use strong, unique passwords for all their accounts, this risk disappears, it said.
Don't recharge your phone at public outlets -- carry a power bank instead. Avoid clicking on links sent by 'friends'. If you get into an online sexual encounter with a stranger and get blackmailed, refuse to pay up.
Humans will work far more collaboratively with artificial intelligence for rapid and complex decision-making.
Game streaming is becoming a serious professional choice for youth, as it allows them to make good money.
The rollout of Duo for Android and iOS starts today. To ensure privacy and security, all Duo calls are end-to-end encrypted
In a statement, Facebook said that hackers accessed the name, contact details and other information of the accounts of 14 million people.
Every online user must put these additional security layer in place to prevent theft of their online identities and vital information like user IDs and passwords
Include digital assets in a will, as e-mail and social networking websites don't provide account access to legal heirs.
Taxi booking, shopping and transfer of money will be easy.
The comedian and vlogger shares some life lessons...
'The only narrative before India is what Modi and the BJP is presenting.' 'Nationalism has been taken as a serious plank by the BJP and RSS.' 'They want to keep the nationalism thing alive to make people forget the economic reality.'
