Several countries have raised serious objections to WhatsApp proposed username feature, warning that the change could undermine ongoing efforts against terrorism, financial fraud and cybercrime. Somalia and India are among the nations that have formally approached Meta, urging the company to address their security concerns before rolling out the feature.
The Somali government has contacted Meta directly, demanding satisfactory clarification on the security implications of the feature before its introduction. Somalia Minister for Communications and Technology, Ahmed Osman Deeri, said that if users are able to connect through usernames instead of phone numbers, tracing criminals and militant elements would become significantly more difficult.
Deeri noted that Somalia situation differs from many other countries, as the nation has faced a two decade long insurgency by Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda linked militant group, while a large portion of its economy relies on mobile money services. He warned that if users adopt usernames that cannot be easily identified, incidents of financial fraud, forgery and deception targeting citizens could rise.
Al-Shabab has previously used WhatsApp for extortion, threats and propaganda activities in Somalia. In 2024, the Somali intelligence agency reported shutting down 20 WhatsApp groups linked to Al-Shabab that were being used to extort money and threaten citizens, while data services for nearly 2,500 phone numbers associated with the group were also suspended.
Deeri said the Somali government has already been in touch with Meta and expressed hope that a mutually agreed solution would be reached soon.
India has also objected to the proposed username feature. With more than 850 million WhatsApp users, India has expressed concern that hiding phone numbers could make it easier for fraudsters and cybercriminals to target people using fake identities. The Indian government has demanded that the feature not be introduced until its concerns are addressed.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has responded by stating that the feature has not yet been launched and that a phone number will still be required to create and use an account. The company said the new feature will include several safeguards designed to prevent online fraud and deception.
