Meta Defends WhatsApp Usernames After India Raises Cybercrime Concerns and Seeks an …

Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. The Government of India has expressed concerns over Meta Platforms Inc. introducing usernames on its messaging platform, WhatsApp, citing a potential increase in cybercrime. Despite the backlash, Meta defended its decision. Meta’s WhatsApp introduced the username feature on Monday, touting it as a “major privacy feature” aimed at helping people connect without disclosing their phone numbers. The feature is not yet live and will be rolled out “slowly later this year.” Don’t Miss: A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and why Still Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up Fast On Thursday, a Meta Platforms spokesperson told CNBC that WhatsApp usernames will include multiple anti-scam protections, including phone number verification, limits on contacting new users, safeguards against username guessing, and systems to detect and remove impersonation and abusive activity. Notably, this comes days after Meta Platforms invested $900 million in Indian fintech startup CRED, while CRED founder Kunal Shah is set to lead WhatsApp globally, bolstering Meta’s digital payments strategy. Meta Faces Fresh AI Scrutiny On Wednesday, the Indian
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