India issues notice to Telegram, Signal on concerns over usernames, source says

July 3 (Reuters) - ‌India has ​issued ​notices to messaging platforms Telegram and Signal over concerns that ‌their username features could facilitate impersonation ⁠and other forms of misuse, a government ‌source said on ‌Friday, escalating the country's scrutiny of user-anonymity tools on digital platforms.

Here are ​some details:

• The messaging platforms have been asked to explain the ⁠safeguards in place to protect users as part ​of the government's push to strengthen accountability on digital platforms, the ​source said on condition ‌of anonymity.

• The notice comes after the government also ⁠directed Meta's WhatsApp to stop the phased rollout of its username feature in ⁠India that will eventually allow users to message ​others without sharing their phone numbers.

• The intervention is an escalation of India's policing ‌of online platforms, coming weeks after it blocked Telegram and ‌following years of run-ins with ⁠Elon Musk's X ‌over content-takedown orders.

(Reporting ​by Rajesh Kumar; Writing by Kashish Tandon; Editing by Raju ‌Gopalakrishnan)

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