WhatsApp’s new username feature has triggered a regulatory flashpoint in India, with MeitY asking Meta to pause its rollout amid concerns over privacy, impersonation, and digital identity control. For marketers, the implications run deeper — usernames could make WhatsApp handles as recognisable as website URLs, transforming the platform into a discovery and commerce layer. But as experts warn, brands that anchor customer relationships to platform-controlled identities risk renting rather than owning their data. A must-read for anyone thinking about the future of CRM, digital identity, and platform dependency in India.Read more