WhatsApp should freeze username rollout as it could increase cybercrimes,
says India but Meta claims impersonation isnt an issue

Date:
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:46:31 +0000

Description:
The great WhatsApp username rush is on, but there may be problems with scammers and impersonations.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter There are reports of a WhatsApp username impersonation problems WhatsApp and Meta say popular names are reserved India wants to see the rollout of username reservations paused WhatsApp is launching a username feature later this year, to enable you to
add contacts without revealing your phone number but while handle reservations have gone live for many users, there are reports that username impersonation is already an issue.

As per testing done by TechCrunch , usernames very similar to Indian politicians, celebrities, business figures, and public institutions are available. They include 'indiamodi' (for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and 'shahrukh.actor' for Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. This focus on India is because authorities in the country have already asked WhatsApp to put a pause on username reservations. As per the BBC , the Indian government suggests that WhatsApp usernames could "increase cybercrimes" such as online fraud and phishing scams already big concerns in the country. Latest Videos From Watch full video here:

The thinking is that usernames could allow scammers to operate without revealing their numbers (which may get picked up in blacklists). If those scammers are also impersonating well-known figures, then the problems are compounded. Get in line Username reservations are here, as more and more people claim theirs, heres answers to the top questions youre asking Q: Are usernames mandatory?A: Nope, they are optional.Q: What if the username I want isnt available?A: Theres a few reasons you might not be able to July 1, 2026 WhatsApp has seen this coming. When announcing the feature , it said that handles for well-known individuals would be reserved for those people including usernames for politicians, VIPs, and other celebrities. You may
like WhatsApp rolls out username reservations here's how to claim yours I reserved my WhatsApp username here are 5 things you need to know WhatsApps latest beta lets you set up a username, so you dont have to share your phone number

"People are making false claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames," says WhatsApp . "This isn't true, only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names." The same line was repeated by WhatsApp owner Meta when contacted by TechCrunch.

However, it's not clear how many variations of famous names and identities
are covered by this block. It seems that with enough imagination, working alternatives can be found though of course once you start dropping in different spellings, numbers, and extra words, the username impersonation becomes less convincing. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

It's a challenge that all social platforms have to deal with, including the Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook. With WhatsApp though, the connection is more direct and the potential scams are more plausible which may affect the feature's rollout worldwide. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Today's best phone deals Contract Deals Sim Free gift Apple iPhone 17 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 10GB data 19 upfront 34.99 /mth View at Mobiles.co.uk See all prices Samsung Galaxy S26 36 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 30GB data 30 upfront 37.26 /mth View at EE See all prices Google Pixel 10 24 months Unlimited mins Unlimited texts 5GB data 30 upfront 60.21 /mth View at O2 Mobiles See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/websites-apps/whatsapp-should-freeze-usern ame-rollout-as-it-could-increase-cybercrimes-says-india-but-meta-claims-impers onation-isnt-an-issue


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