Somalia has raised concerns over WhatsApp’s upcoming username-based messaging feature, warning that allowing users to communicate without revealing their phone numbers could create new challenges for law enforcement and increase the risk of fraud.
Communications and Technology Minister Ahmed Osman Dirie told the BBC that the proposed feature could make it more difficult for authorities to identify and track criminals, particularly as the country continues to confront a long-running insurgency by al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group.
WhatsApp is expected to introduce the feature to its global user base of around three billion people in the coming months. The update will allow users to communicate through usernames instead of displaying their phone numbers, with the option to change or remove usernames.
Somalia has faced more than two decades of violence linked to al-Shabab, which has also used digital platforms, including WhatsApp, for activities such as extortion and propaganda.
In 2024, Somalia's intelligence agency said it had taken down 20 WhatsApp groups allegedly connected to al-Shabab's extortion and intimidation activities. Authorities also reported disabling data services linked to around 2,500 phone numbers associated with those groups.
Responding to the Somali government's concerns, WhatsApp told the BBC that the username feature has not yet been launched. The company also clarified that users will continue to require a phone number to access WhatsApp and said the feature includes safeguards designed to protect users from scams.
Dirie said Somalia had already contacted Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, to discuss the government's concerns. He expressed hope that "we'll reach a resolution on this matter very soon".
According to the minister, Somalia's circumstances are particularly sensitive because the country relies heavily on mobile money for financial transactions. He warned that "Unverified and untraceable usernames" could make it easier for fraudsters to operate and potentially expose users to financial scams.
Dirie also argued that the country's existing system for regulating phone numbers could be weakened if WhatsApp moves toward usernames. He said authorities currently have mechanisms that allow them to associate phone numbers with individuals, making it easier to investigate criminal activity.
"So moving away from phone numbers to usernames, we believe, will make it difficult for us to counter those crimes," he said.
The minister said Somalia wanted additional assurances from Meta regarding the security implications of the feature. In particular, he wants the company to establish that removing visible phone numbers would not "erode digital traceability" and that there would be "specific safeguards" to address potential financial fraud.
"If they prove that, when we discuss if we put those safeguards in place, then we will not have any issue with rolling out the new feature," he said.
Somalia's concerns come shortly after India, WhatsApp's largest market with more than 850 million users, raised similar objections. Indian authorities have warned that usernames could potentially facilitate online fraud, impersonation and other forms of criminal activity by allowing people to contact others without revealing their phone numbers.
India also asked WhatsApp "not to roll out this feature until the consultation on this point is achieved to the satisfaction of the government".
Technology blogger Moses Kemibaro, who focuses on developments across Africa, views the feature primarily as a move toward greater privacy. He said the change would bring WhatsApp closer to other Meta-owned platforms such as Instagram, where users typically interact through usernames rather than phone numbers.
"It's almost saying that this can work irrespective of the phone number and just give you a single identity," he says.
However, Kemibaro acknowledged that the privacy benefits could be accompanied by security challenges, particularly around scams and other forms of online abuse.
"[It is] a very sensitive issue around the possibility of escalation in scams and risky propositions that might actually come out of this new trend," he says.
He added that Meta would need to clarify how authorities could investigate criminal activity if offenders are identified only through usernames, including whether a username could ultimately be connected to the individual operating the account.
Kenyan security expert George Musamali also sees privacy benefits in the proposed change. He noted that WhatsApp users sometimes complain that information shared in private or group conversations is extracted and subsequently used against them, with technology companies often held responsible.
Musamali also pointed to another concern: information from WhatsApp groups could potentially be accessed or used by governments to target critics. In his view, strengthening user privacy could help address such situations.
At the same time, he believes governments could be reacting prematurely to the proposed changes. The debate, he suggests, ultimately comes down to finding an appropriate balance between protecting users' privacy and ensuring that authorities retain sufficient tools to tackle crime.
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