Somalia has joined India in objecting to Meta Platforms Inc.'s planned WhatsApp username feature, citing security concerns in a country battling Islamist militants for two decades. According to Business Standard, WhatsApp this month began letting users reserve unique handles that are expected to go live later this year, as part of Meta's push to allow the messaging app's 3 billion users to connect without exchanging phone numbers. The feature rollout has faced significant international resistance, with India asking Meta to delay the rollout last week, citing fears that it may fuel online fraud. With more than 600 million users, India is WhatsApp's biggest market, making the regulatory push particularly significant for Meta's global expansion plans.
Mustafa Yasin Sheikh, the director-general of the National Communications Authority of Somalia, outlined specific security concerns in a phone interview on Monday. As reported by Business Standard, the substitution of phone numbers may hinder Somali security agencies' ability to identify individuals involved in terrorism, organized crime and other illegal activities. The Somali government has been fighting al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants since 2006, with the insurgency leaving thousands dead, contributing to millions being internally displaced and forcing the state to spend scarce resources on security rather than development. Somalia is following India's example, with concerns including potential for increased impersonation of government institutions and public officials, financial fraud targeting Somalia's mobile money ecosystem, and misuse of anonymous communications by terrorist organizations such as al-Shabaab and organized cybercriminal networks.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued notices to Telegram and Signal on July 2, 2026, demanding explanations within three days regarding their username features. The government raised concerns that username features, which allow connections without sharing phone numbers, could escalate online fraud, phishing, and impersonation. This regulatory action follows a directive to Meta-owned WhatsApp to pause its proposed username feature rollout until government consultations are completed. As of July 3, 2026, neither Telegram nor Signal has officially responded to the notices, according to The Hindu.
The Centre has asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the IT Act and rules over WhatsApp's new feature that may increase cybercrimes. The government stated that the feature must remain paused until consultations are completed. Meta didn't respond to an emailed request for comment regarding Somalia's objections, as reported by Business Standard.
Domestic platforms are actively responding to the government directives. Zoho-backed homegrown messaging platform Arattai has temporarily disabled its username-based account feature to comply with regulatory changes, as confirmed by Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu on X. In a post on X, Arattai stated, "We've temporarily disabled the username feature after receiving a notice from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) regarding its potential misuse." The company added, "We're working closely with MeitY to clarify the native architectural safeguards we've built into Arattai. Once these queries have been addressed, we'll restore the feature." India is WhatsApp's largest market with over 500 million users, which far exceeds Telegram's reach, according to PTI.
