In brief
Somalia’s government has expressed concern over WhatsApp’s planned rollout of usernames, citing risks to counter‑terrorism efforts and financial fraud. The minister said the change could make it harder to trace criminals in a country still battling al‑Shabab militants. WhatsApp maintains that users will still need a phone number and has built‑in safeguards. Similar worries have arisen in India, while some tech experts argue the shift could enhance privacy. The debate underscores the tension between user privacy and national security.
Somalia’s government has expressed concerns over WhatsApp’s planned rollout of usernames, saying it could pose a security risk.
Communications and Technology Minister Ahmed Osman Dirie warned that switching from phone numbers to usernames would make it harder to trace and counter criminals amid an ongoing fight against al‑Shabab militants.
WhatsApp said the feature is not yet live, and users will still need to register with a phone number. It also highlighted built‑in safeguards to prevent scams.
Somalia’s economy relies heavily on mobile money transactions, and the minister said unverified usernames could increase financial fraud and leave citizens vulnerable.
India has raised similar concerns, asking Meta to pause the feature until it assures that phone numbers won’t be erased from its system.
Tech blogger Moses Kemibaro sees the change as a step toward privacy, comparing it to Instagram’s approach. Kenyan security expert George Musamali notes that governments sometimes misuse data from WhatsApp groups; Meta may be aiming to stop that.
The minister demands concrete safeguards from Meta, and has said a resolution should be reached soon.
BBC Focus on Africa podcast: Why Somalia fears new WhatsApp feature
