THE TRUTH ABOUT: 9 - The Untold Story

How two co-founders built a WhatsApp platform helping some farm families increase annual incomes from Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh

Co-founders Azaan Merchant and Gaurav Sanghai built Bharat Intelligence, a WhatsApp-based platform that connects farmers with skilled labourers, helping growers secure workers on time while giving labourers more consistent employment. The result: some farm families have seen annual incomes rise from around Rs 50,000 to as much as Rs 4…

The Economic Times · Jul 1

Centre asks Meta to pause WhatsApp username rollout; seeks reply in three days

It has ​​directed Meta to furnish a detailed explanation of the feature within three days. The company has been asked not to roll out the feature until consultation on the matter is over, sources told ET.

The Economic Times · Jul 1

Meta’s WhatsApp Shakeup Could Put India at the Center of Its Next Growth Push

Meta is investing $900 million in Indian fintech Cred to bring founder Kunal Shah on to lead WhatsApp, aiming to boost monetization of the platform's 3 billion users.

MarketBeat · Jul 1

Worries arise over gaming of WhatsApp usernames

The feature, expected to roll out later this year, will allow users to connect using usernames instead of sharing their phone numbers. While experts say this reduces exposure of personal phone numbers and lowers risks such as SIM-swapping and contact scraping, they warn that the move also raises fresh questions…

The Economic Times · Jul 1

WhatsApp’s major new update explained: The two things you need to know about ‘usernames’ feature

New feature is intended to avoid privacy problems and difficulties of handing over numbers – but comes with some warnings

The Independent UK · Jun 30

WhatsApp to replace phone numbers with usernames - what does this change mean for users?

WhatsApp says the new feature will be released over the coming months and that it will notify users when it is available in their country.

Euronews · Jun 30

WhatsApp usernames are rolling out soon — here's how to reserve yours

Users can claim their preferred WhatsApp username during the early access period. Here's how to do it.

Tom’s Guide · Jun 30

Meta Shows Urgency as Investors Get Exasperated But Don't Expect a Major Rally Yet

Meta has announced a flurry of new initiatives and is reportedly looking to launch a prediction markets app. While these are steps in the right direction, don't expect a major rally yet.

Barchart · Jun 30

I just reserved my WhatsApp username — here are 5 important things you need to know about the process

Reservations are already opening up for WhatsApp usernames, and here's what you need to bear in mind.

TechRadar · Jun 30

WhatsApp Introduces Usernames: A Major Privacy Upgrade That Changes How Billions Connect

For more than 15 years, one thing defined WhatsApp: your phone number was your identity. Whether you wanted to start a conversation, join a group, buy or sell products, or connect with someone new, sharing your mobile number was almost always unavoidable. While convenient, this system often raised concerns about…

Whats Hot · Jun 30