WhatsApp के Username फीचर पर क्यों मचा है बवाल? सरकार ने भेजा नोटिस, टेलीग्राम से है कनेक्शन! – whatsapp username feature indian govt notice to meta explained ttecm
WhatsApp is preparing to bring a feature for which many people were waiting for a long time. The name of this feature is Username. For now, the company has released the option to reserve the username. People all over the world are being given this option to set their username. Although this feature has not started.
on 30th June whatsapp It was said that the username feature will increase the privacy of people. Those who do not want to share their phone number with anyone can connect by sharing their username. This means that chatting can be done on WhatsApp without showing the phone number.
According to sources, the Indian government has sent a notice to the parent company of WhatsApp asking the company not to roll out this feature in India at present. The government has also asked the company for complete information about this feature within three days. As long as the government and meta Till the talks on this are not completed, this feature has been asked not to be launched in India.
What is WhatsApp username feature?
Till now, to talk to someone on WhatsApp, it is necessary to have his mobile number. Only if someone knows your number can he send you a message.
After the new username feature, you will be able to choose a unique username for your account. After this, no new person will need to know your mobile number. If he has your correct username, he will be able to start chatting with you.
WhatsApp says that its purpose is to increase the privacy of people so that they do not have to share mobile numbers with everyone.
WhatsApp has also made it clear that if someone already has your mobile number or you are already together in a group, then your number will not be hidden from them. This service will be mainly for new conversations.
How will the username work?
According to Meta, users will be able to reserve their username by going to Settings > Account > Username of WhatsApp. Every username will be unique, meaning two people will not be able to have the same name.
If your preferred username is already taken by someone else, you will have to choose another name. Meta will gradually start this service in all countries and when this feature starts working, the username will give you a notification. At present this feature has not been activated simultaneously all over the world. It will be released in a phase wise manner in the coming months.
What is WhatsApp Username Key?
With this feature, WhatsApp is bringing another security layer, which is being called Username Key. If a user wants, he can also add a separate key with his username.
In such a situation, just knowing the username will not be enough. The other person should have that key along with the username, only then he will be able to start a new chat. Its purpose is that even if your username gets shared somewhere on the internet, no one can send you direct messages.
Why did the Government of India send the notice?
The biggest concern of the government is about cyber fraud and fake identities. If only the username is visible instead of the mobile number, then anyone can try to deceive people by creating a username similar to that of a company, government department or any famous person. The government believes that it would not be right to launch such a feature without thorough investigation.
According to sources, the government has asked Meta how fake accounts will be stopped in such cases, how criminals will be identified and how law enforcement agencies will investigate if necessary.
Telegram Why is comparison being made with the app?
This feature of WhatsApp is considered to be quite similar to Telegram’s username system. For many years, people can be contacted on Telegram through username and in many cases the mobile number is not visible.
Questions were raised on Telegram during the NEET paper leak controversy. At that time, the founder of Telegram had said that even if Telegram is closed, criminals can use some other app like WhatsApp. The government had banned the Telegram app for a week during the NEET re-exam.
Now WhatsApp is also bringing the username feature, so the government wants to understand whether the same problems will arise here also. However, just because there is a username does not mean that the culprit cannot be traced.
Under the law, WhatsApp has account information and if needed, the information can be made available to investigating agencies through legal process. But the mobile number will not be visible to the common user, due to which initial identification may be difficult. This is the reason why the government first wants to understand this system well.
Can this increase scams?
Cyber security experts believe that if security is not strengthened, then there may be an attempt to cheat people by creating fake usernames. Suppose someone creates a similar username like ‘rbi_help’ or ‘bank_help’. Many people may consider it to be a real account.
Similarly, an attempt can be made to trap people by creating a username similar to a friend’s name. However, Meta says that it has prepared several security measures to prevent such misuse and the usernames of high-profile people will be reserved in advance so that no one can misuse their identity.
Will privacy increase?
If we talk only about privacy, then this feature can be beneficial for many people. There will be no need to share mobile number while buying goods online, while talking to any business or while contacting a new person. This can protect your number from reaching unknown people.
But on the other hand, if it becomes easier to hide identity, then it may also become easier for cyber criminals to create fake profiles. Therefore, the biggest challenge before both the government and Meta is how to strike the right balance between privacy and security.
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