By Zakarie Hassan - Reporter
Somalia, 6 July 2026 – Somalia’s National Communications Authority (NCA) has called on Meta to postpone the rollout of WhatsApp usernames, joining similar concerns raised by India over potential security, privacy and financial risks to users.
In a statement on Monday, the NCA highlighted that the new feature, which allows users to create public identifiers separate from phone numbers, could be exploited by cybercriminals, terrorist groups, and fraudsters to impersonate individuals or facilitate 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 NCA said, adding that verification, anti-abuse mechanisms, and moderation tools are critical.
The authority also cited risks to the country’s mobile money ecosystem, a key financial platform in Somalia, and stressed that unverified public identifiers could lead to fraud and financial loss.
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Meta has not immediately responded to requests for comment. India’s regulator earlier called for a pause on the feature rollout over similar concerns.
The NCA said the feature’s introduction should comply with international best practices for digital privacy, online safety, and national security, ensuring that Somali users are protected from potential abuse.
Somalia’s call reflects growing scrutiny worldwide over messaging platform features that expose user data or allow public identification without sufficient safeguards.