The Meta-owned platform issued a detailed set of FAQs on Thursday in response to mounting criticism surrounding the feature, which has triggered concerns among users, cybersecurity experts and the government.
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WhatsApp has dismissed as "false" claims that people are reserving popular or well-known usernames, asserting that names linked to public figures can only be claimed by their legitimate owners, even as the Centre continues examining the messaging platform's proposed username feature over concerns related to impersonation and cyber fraud.
The Meta-owned platform issued a detailed set of FAQs on Thursday in response to mounting criticism surrounding the feature, which has triggered concerns among users, cybersecurity experts and the government.
"A few more things to keep in mind...People are making false claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames - this isn't true, only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names," WhatsApp said in the FAQs.
The clarification follows a notice issued by the Centre on Wednesday asking Meta to explain the proposed feature and directing the company not to roll it out until consultations are completed "to the satisfaction of the Government". Authorities have expressed concern that the feature could "materially increase" online fraud, phishing, digital arrest scams and impersonation attacks by making it easier for bad actors to contact victims.
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