Somalia's government has warned the world that WhatsApp’s new username‑based chat feature could make it harder to track Islamist militants and fight fraud in a country already grappling with al‑Shabab insurgency. The Communications and Technology Minister, Ahmed Osman Dirie, said the move could threaten national security and financial integrity – key pillars of Somalia’s mobile‑money‑heavy economy.
WhatsApp plans to launch the change to its three‑billion‑user network in the coming months, allowing people to remove or change their usernames at any time. In the meantime, the platform remains anchored to phone numbers.
Dirie told the BBC’s Focus on Africa podcast that Somalia has approached Meta, asking it to keep the feature on hold until the government is fully satisfied with the safeguards. He emphasised that the country’s unique reliance on mobile money transactions requires stable traceability.
Security experts point out that usernames can create “unverified and untraceable” identities, increasing scams and allowing extremist groups to coordinate, extort, and spread propaganda. In 2024, Somalia’s intelligence agency shut down 20 WhatsApp groups linked to al‑Shabab and blocked 2,500 phone numbers associated with the group.
While Meta insists the feature will include built‑in protection against fraud, Somalia remains skeptical. The minister called for concrete guarantees that phone numbers won’t be effectively hidden, and demanded specific safeguards against financial fraud.
The debate mirrors concerns raised in India, the platform’s second‑largest market. Indian officials fear usernames could enable criminals to contact victims without revealing phone numbers. They urged Meta to postpone rollout until a satisfactory consultation ends.
As WhatsApp works on a solution, the discussion underscores the tension between privacy‑enhancing innovations and national‑security needs – a dilemma that resonates across several countries striving to protect their citizens while giving users greater anonymity.
