India has formally notified two major messaging platforms — Telegram and Signal — over worries that their username features could be exploited for impersonation and other harmful activities, according to a government source who spoke on Friday.
The source, who requested anonymity, said both platforms have been asked to detail what protections they have in place to keep users safe. The notices are part of a wider government effort to hold digital platforms more accountable for how their features are used.
The action follows a similar move against Meta’s WhatsApp, which was directed by Indian authorities to halt the gradual rollout of its own username feature in the country. That feature, once fully implemented, would allow users to contact each other without needing to share their phone numbers.
The latest notices represent a further escalation in India’s oversight of online platforms. The government had already blocked Telegram in recent weeks, and has clashed repeatedly over the years with Elon Musk’s X over demands to remove certain content.
