#TechFriday n°2️⃣6️⃣8️⃣ – Issue of 23/01/2026
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This week on #TechFriday, technology shows up where we least expect it: schools, messaging apps, browsers… and even our AI conversations. From WhatsApp school groups in Cameroon to bold moves by Apple, Google and OpenAI, plus cybersecurity efforts and digital public services in West Africa, this edition breaks down the tensions, promises and strategic choices shaping our digital future. Enjoy your TechGriot weekly 👇🏾
When WhatsApp becomes the classroom: how school groups are reshaping education in Cameroon 🇨🇲📱🎓
Now indispensable in Cameroon, WhatsApp class groups bring parents and schools closer together by facilitating access to information. However, without a clear framework, they generate tension, social pressure and communication issues, and sometimes exacerbate digital inequalities. Click here for full story
Apple turns to Google’s Gemini to supercharge Siri, betting on control over raw AI power 🤖
Apple connects the future Siri to Google Gemini to boost the iPhone’s AI without compromising its privacy stance. A multi-billion pound deal, a « private » cloud, promises of confidentiality: a logical step forward or a risky gamble with your data ? Click here for full story
Europe wants to kill cookie banners, and let browsers decide 🍪
Europe is preparing for a silent revolution: the end of cookie banners in favour of a single setting in your browser. Fewer clicks, greater clarity… but also a web that needs to reinvent its advertising model. A simplification that raises real questions. Click here for full story
Google Personal Intelligence turns Gemini into an AI assistant that actually knows you 🤖
Google launches Personal Intelligence for Gemini: the AI can now scan your Gmail, Photos, YouTube & Search for ultra-personalized responses. In US beta for Pro/Ultra subscribers. The promise: an assistant that truly knows you. The question: do you trust it ? Click here for full story
Facing rising cyber threats, Cameroon upgrades its national cyber defense systems 🇨🇲 🛡️
Cameroon equips ANTIC and the national CIRT with new cybersecurity equipment as part of the World Bank-funded PATNUC project. The goal is to improve the detection, prevention, and response to cyber threats in order to secure the digital economy. Click here for full story
Côte d’Ivoire launches MaPoste, a national app for digital public services 📱🇨🇮
Burkina Faso is launching a Digital Infrastructure Supervision Centre to strengthen cybersecurity, network resilience and digital sovereignty. This project is part of a broader modernisation strategy, despite the country’s structural lag in digital technology. Click here for full story
Nigeria’s Benue State plans to train 23,000 young people in digital skills every two years 💻🇳🇬
In Nigeria, Benue State is partnering with Cisco Networking Academy to train 23,000 young people every two years in digital skills. The goal is to boost employability, create a talent pool, and support local economic transformation through digital technology. Click here for full story
From idealism to ads: the uncomfortable future of ChatGPT 🤖
Messenger’s desktop apps are dead—and Meta wants you back in the browser 💻
Meta is pulling the plug on Messenger for Windows and macOS. The desktop apps no longer work and now redirect users to the browser, with weaker integration and more friction—while WhatsApp and Instagram keep improving on desktop. Step backward or strategic reset ? 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 ✌🏾😁





