As Meta pushes usernames as a new identity system for WhatsApp, India’s government has asked the platform to pause the rollout, raising urgent questions for brands and marketers. Usernames could transform WhatsApp from a broadcast channel into a relationship and discovery platform, where acquisition, CRM and commerce converge around a single consumer identity. But the shift also brings real risks: impersonation, verification gaps, and the erosion of the phone number as marketing’s most trusted signal. With India’s DPDP Act entering the frame, this piece explores what the username era means for customer acquisition, trust infrastructure, and the future of conversational marketing.
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