Context:
WhatsApp’s proposed username feature has raised a debate on informational privacy and cybersecurity. While WhatsApp says usernames can protect users by hiding phone numbers, the government fears misuse through fraud, impersonation and spoofing.
Explanation:
- WhatsApp is planning an optional username system, where users may communicate without sharing their mobile numbers.
- This can improve privacy, especially for users who do not want strangers, businesses or groups to access their phone numbers.
- The issue is linked to informational privacy, which means control over one’s personal data.
- The Supreme Court recognised privacy as part of Article 21 in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy judgment, 2017.
- However, the government is worried that usernames may be misused for phishing, impersonation, identity theft, digital arrest scams and cyber fraud.
- The State can restrict privacy only through a valid law, for a legitimate aim, and in a proportionate manner.
- The debate is therefore about balancing individual liberty, digital privacy, public order and national security.
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WhatsApp Username Feature and Privacy Law Balance