Amid WhatsApp username controversy, Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu says Arattai will disable the feature

Zoho-backed messaging platform Arattai has decided to remove its username-based account feature after the government increased its scrutiny of anonymous communication tools on messaging platforms. The move comes after the Indian government asked Meta to pause the rollout of WhatsApp’s username feature.

Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu confirmed the development in a post on X, stating, “We will be disabling the username-based account feature in Arattai to comply with the regulatory change. Thank you.”

We will be disabling the user name based account feature in Arattai, to comply with the regulatory change.

Thank you ????

— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) July 2, 2026

With this announcement, Arattai becomes one of the first messaging platforms to publicly respond to the Centre’s latest regulatory stance on username-based identities. Although Vembu did not announce a timeline for discontinuing username-based accounts, he confirmed that the company would comply with the latest regulatory requirements.

What was the username feature?

Arattai had introduced the username feature before WhatsApp and offered it as an opt-in utility tool, allowing users to connect without sharing their mobile numbers. The feature was designed to improve privacy while remaining an optional feature rather than being enabled by default.

Developed by Zoho Corporation, Arattai provides messaging, voice and video calling, file sharing, channels, and end-to-end encrypted chats and calls.

Government pauses WhatsApp’s username rollout

The decision follows the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) directing Meta to pause the rollout of WhatsApp’s planned username feature in India. The government has asked the company “not to roll out this feature until the consultation on this point is achieved to the satisfaction of the government”, as per the notice seen by the BBC.

The Centre has also issued notices to messaging platforms such as Telegram and Signal, seeking details about the safeguards they have in place to prevent misuse.

Why the government halted WhatsApp usernames

The government also asked WhatsApp to explain why it should not face action under Indian law for launching a feature that could lead to an increase in cybercrime, BBC reported.

The government believes username-based identities could be misused by fraudsters to impersonate banks, government agencies, businesses, and public figures. Officials fear the feature could lead to an increase in phishing attacks, financial fraud, and digital arrest scams.

Authorities have also raised concerns about traceability, noting that SIM-based verification remains an important safeguard under India’s telecom and cybersecurity framework.

WhatsApp says the feature is still under development

Responding to the government’s concerns, WhatsApp said the username feature has not yet been rolled out and includes several built-in safeguards to prevent misuse.

According to a Meta spokesperson, the company plans to introduce the feature in phases later this year. “To protect against impersonation, we have held the highest-profile names – think public figures, government entities, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts – so they can only ever be claimed by their legitimate owners and lookalike derivatives of known names are held as well,” the spokesperson added.

The company also clarified that users will continue to need a verified mobile number to create a WhatsApp account.

Read Also: Explained – Why GE Vernova, Hitachi Energy, CG Power shares tanked up to 9% on Friday

(Edited by : Juviraj Anchil)