Somalia asks Meta to delay WhatsApp usernames rollout over security risks

Wednesday July 8, 2026

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s National Communications Authority has called on Meta to postpone the rollout of WhatsApp usernames in the country, warning that the feature could create security, privacy and financial risks for users.

In a statement Monday, the NCA said the feature, which would allow users to create public identifiers separate from phone numbers, could be exploited by cybercriminals, terrorist groups and fraudsters to impersonate people or carry out scams.

“Before this feature is introduced in Somalia, we urge Meta to engage in technical consultations and implement robust safeguards to protect user privacy and prevent misuse,” the authority said.

The NCA said verification systems, anti-abuse mechanisms and moderation tools would be critical before the feature is launched in Somalia.

The authority also warned that unverified public identifiers could pose risks to Somalia’s mobile money ecosystem, which is one of the country’s most widely used financial systems.

Somalia has one of the most active mobile money markets in Africa, despite fragile and underdeveloped formal financial institutions. About 155 million transactions, worth $2.7 billion are recorded each month, and more than 70% of Somali adults regularly use mobile money services.

The NCA’s request makes Somalia the second country after India to ask Meta to pause the rollout of WhatsApp usernames over concerns about fraud and user protection.

WhatsApp said earlier this week that it had begun a phased global rollout, including in Somalia, allowing users to reserve unique usernames and eventually message others without sharing phone numbers.

India, WhatsApp’s largest market with more than 500 million users, was the first country to ask the company to pause the rollout while it consults on fraud risks.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said the username feature is not yet live and will be rolled out slowly later this year.

The company said users will still need a phone number to register, and senders will need to know a person’s exact username before messaging them.

WhatsApp said it has built multiple layers of protection against scams into the feature, including limits on how many new people an account can contact and blocks on repeated attempts to guess usernames.