#TechFriday n°2️⃣3️⃣6️⃣- Issue of 30/05/2025

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#TechFriday | Pixels, paychecks & AI: the tech week like you’ve never seen it

This week, we dive into Cameroon’s digital “piment” underground, JobSika’s salary transparency push, and Google’s jaw-dropping AI reveals. From Android XR and WhatsApp for iPad to Pocket’s shutdown and South Africa’s prepaid phone boom via Pepkor, it’s a tech rollercoaster from Africa to Silicon Valley—plus a disturbing Telegram case. The week’s top stories, all in one scroll. Enjoy the ride!

When poverty meets pixels: the hidden economy of digital sex work in Cameroon 💔

Between precariousness, social pressure and the quest for comfort, many Cameroonian women, sometimes in couples or students, are turning to online prostitution via online platforms. It’s a growing phenomenon, discreetly organised, which is sparking debate and concern on the networks. Click here for full story

JobSika gives workers in Cameroon a voice—and real salary data 📊

JobSika is a Cameroonian platform where employees anonymously share their salaries and rate their companies. It offers a clear overview of salary conditions and the social climate, helping professionals to better negotiate and understand their working environment. Click here for full story

Google’s creative AI: fast, impressive… and tightly controlled. End of human creativity or the dawn of a new era ?

Google I/O 2025 saw the unveiling of Imagen 4, Veo 3, Flow and Lyria 2: AIs that push back the boundaries of image, video and music creation. Google is thus laying the foundations for a new creative era, with boosted productivity and new challenges for the industry. Click here for full story

Android XR, Beam & Astra: Google’s vision of the future is here 👓

At Google I/O 2025, Android XR, Google Beam, and Project Astra took center stage: AI-powered smart glasses, ultra-immersive 3D video calls, and a multimodal assistant that understands your world. Google is redrawing the line between virtual and real. Click here for full story

WhatsApp borrows from Instagram and Discord to supercharge its status and groups 🤩

WhatsApp is rolling out interactive “Add Yours” stickers for collaborative stories, multi-photo status updates, and voice chats in any group. These features aim to make your conversations more fun, expressive, and spontaneous—closer to how we really connect. Click here for full story

WhatsApp finally lands on iPad: was it worth the wait? 💬

Pocket is shutting down: the end of an era for read-it-later apps 🚪

After 17 years of loyal service, Pocket, the popular deferred reading application, will be shutting down for good on 8 July 2025. Users will have until 8 October to export their data before Mozilla permanently deletes it. Click here for full story

« E-kazi »: the DRC digitises business creation for all 💻

55 arrested in France as encrypted Telegram network used for child abuse is dismantled 🚨

French police arrested 55 men tied to a child abuse network operating on Telegram. The bust followed a year-long digital sting and highlights growing concerns over how encrypted platforms are used to share illegal content, despite moderation tools. Click here for full story

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That’s it for this week. We wish you a good weekend and look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

TechGriot ✌🏾😁