After WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal receive notices on username feature
The Indian government has issued notices to Telegram and Signal regarding their username features, following a similar move against WhatsApp. Digital rights groups argue these regulations lack a clear legal basis and threaten user privacy.
Why it matters
The move represents a significant escalation in the Indian government's regulatory oversight of encrypted messaging platforms and digital privacy.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Thursday (July 2, 2026) sent notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking information on their username feature. The notice comes shortly after a similar missive was sent to WhatsApp on Wednesday (July 1, 2026). The Meta-owned messaging platform is yet to implement the feature anywhere in the world, but is taking reservations for usernames.
The article gives significant weight to the Internet Freedom Foundation's critique of the government's actions as 'unconstitutional'.
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