The Somali government has expressed concern over WhatsApp's plan to launch a new feature allowing users to chat using usernames instead of phone numbers, pointing out that it could pose a security risk.

Minister of Communications and Technology, Ahmed Osman Diri, told the BBC that this feature could make it harder to track and combat criminals in a country still fighting militant Islamist groups.

The feature is expected to be rolled out to three billion users worldwide in the coming months, allowing users to delete or change usernames at any time.

Somalia has been suffering from an insurgency led by the al-Shabaab movement, affiliated with al-Qaeda, for more than two decades.

In response to Somalia's concerns, WhatsApp told the BBC that the feature has not been activated yet and that users will still need a phone number to use the app. It added that the feature is equipped with built-in protection mechanisms against fraud.

However, Diri told the BBC's 'Focus on Africa' program that the Somali government has contacted Meta, the owner of WhatsApp, about its concerns and expressed hope for a resolution soon.

He noted that Somalia is in a special situation, with its economy heavily reliant on mobile money transfers. He explained that 'undocumented usernames that are difficult to trace' expose citizens to the risk of financial fraud and make them vulnerable to scammers.

Elements of the Somali al-Shabaab movement (archive photo - AFP)

It is also known that al-Shabaab elements use WhatsApp in their operations, including extortion and propaganda.

In 2024, the Somali intelligence agency announced it had shut down 20 WhatsApp groups allegedly run by al-Shabaab for extortion and intimidation. It added that it also disabled data services for about 2,500 phone numbers associated with them.

Diri reported that although Somalia effectively regulates phone numbers in the country, the new WhatsApp feature would undermine this counter-terrorism regulation.

This crisis in Somalia follows a similar complaint from India, the app's largest market with over 850 million users.

Earlier this month, India stated that it believes usernames could increase cyber fraud, identity theft, and other crimes, as they allow criminals to contact potential victims without revealing their phone numbers.

It also asked the company 'not to launch this feature until an agreement is reached on this point that satisfies the government.'

Diri said that linking a WhatsApp profile to a phone number makes it easier to track criminals. He added: 'Therefore, we believe that the shift from using phone numbers to usernames will make it harder for us to combat these crimes.' The minister explained that they need more assurances from Meta, despite its confirmation that it has developed mechanisms to protect against cybercrime on WhatsApp. He demanded that Meta prove that hiding phone numbers will not weaken digital traceability and that it provides specific safeguards against financial fraud. He said: 'If they prove that, then when discussing the implementation of these safeguards, we will have no problem with launching the new feature.'

The Somali official views the change as an evolution of WhatsApp to become like other services within Meta, such as Instagram, where a person's identity is not tied to a phone number.

Long-awaited feature

The long-awaited 'usernames' feature allows users to choose a unique name instead of sharing a phone number, so others can find and add them using that name. This change aims to reduce the need to share phone numbers with people the user may not want to reveal them to, and makes sharing contact details easier, as remembering and sharing a username is often easier than memorizing a full phone number.

To enhance privacy, WhatsApp offers an additional option to use a special 'key' alongside the username. This feature is optional, but adds an extra layer of protection, as anyone trying to add you for the first time will need to know both the username and the key. Given the difficulty of guessing this key, it helps reduce unwanted communication attempts and enhances user privacy.

At the same time, using usernames will not be mandatory. Users will still be able to continue using WhatsApp in the traditional way based on phone numbers, and registering for the app for the first time will still require entering a phone number, even after the new feature is launched.

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