Somalia Backs India’s Objection to WhatsApp’s Username Switch
Somalia has thrown its weight behind India’s objection to WhatsApp’s plan to let people connect through usernames rather than phone numbers, widening a dispute that now spans two continents.
Two National Regulators Want Meta to Prove Traceability Won’t Be Eroded
July 7, 2026 – 12:40 pm
Somalia’s Stand: Somalia backs India’s concerns, making it the second national government in a week to formally query Meta over the usernames feature it began rolling out at the end of June.
WhatsApp’s Plan: WhatsApp started allowing its roughly three billion users to reserve unique handles on 29 June, with the feature set to go live properly later this year. While a phone number is still required to open an account, once a handle is set, new contacts no longer see the underlying number.
Indian Concerns: This design worries India, which last week asked WhatsApp to pause the rollout while it consults on potential fraud risks. With over 600 million users, India is WhatsApp’s single biggest market.
Somali Regulator’s Perspective: Mustafa Yasin Sheikh, director-general of Somalia’s National Communications Authority, expressed similar worries about impersonation of government institutions, financial fraud targeting Somalia’s mobile money ecosystem, and misuse by groups like al-Shabaab and organized cybercriminal networks.
Meta’s Response (Unclear): Meta has not commented on Somalia’s objections, stating previously that the feature is not yet live in India and they have pre-emptively reserved usernames resembling public figures to head off impersonation.
Traceability Concerns: The shared concern among both governments is traceability—the worry that a visible handle rather than a number provides investigators with fewer starting points when pursuing bad actors. India’s notice warned that usernames "may facilitate impersonation and identity spoofing."