Par Axel Toubson
#TechFriday n°2️⃣9️⃣3️⃣ – Issue of 17/07/2026
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This week: Cameroon debates whether online petitions actually change anything, digital tools reinvent how we celebrate birthdays, and fiber takes on mobile internet. Elsewhere: Meta backs off its Instagram AI feature, six West African nations unite on shared AI guidelines, and a new AI tool promises to level the playing field at the 2026 World Cup. Madagascar cracks down on explicit content sites, the World Cup exposes online hate, Equatorial Guinea taps Huawei for network upgrades, and Egypt partners with TikTok to protect kids online. It’s all in this week’s #TechFriday!
Online petitions in Cameroon: does a click really shake the system ? 🇨🇲 📢
In Cameroon, online petitions are transforming the way people protest. With just a few clicks, they enable people to support a cause and mobilise thousands of people. Despite their popularity on social media, their effectiveness still depends on the credibility of the initiatives and the responses from the authorities. Click here for full story
Happy birthday 2.0: How social media reinvented celebrations in Cameroon 🎂
The way we celebrate birthdays has been transformed by digital technology: WhatsApp statuses, video montages and photos have become the new ways of showing affection. But behind this trend lie some downsides: compromised privacy, exposed infidelities and family secrets revealed against their will. Click here for full story
Fiber or mobile data: how Cameroonians pick their connection 📶🇨🇲
The competition between fiber optics and mobile internet reflects the realities of the digital landscape in Cameroon. Mobile data plans dominate thanks to their affordability, whilst fiber optics appeal due to their reliability. Balancing budget, mobility and performance, each user chooses the solution best suited to their needs. Click here for full story
Instagram’s Muse Image sparked a consent backlash — now it’s gone 🛑
West Africa’s six-country push for a common AI rulebook 🌍🤖
Six West African nations — Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, and Benin — have just adopted shared guidelines for AI governance. Backed by advocacy group Niyel, the move aims to give the region a tech framework built on its own values, languages, and development priorities, not imported ones. Click here for full story
World Cup 2026: FIFA’s new AI levels the playing field for 48 teams⚽ 🤖
48 teams, one AI. Football AI Pro crunches over 2,000 in-game metrics and delivers 3D playback to give every squad, even the smallest, analysis once reserved for football’s giants. Players and coaches can query the system in their own language, in text or graphics. Can AI close football’s tech gap ? Click here for full story
Inside Madagascar’s plan to shut down obscene website 🔒 🇲🇬
Madagascar’s government wants to block pornographic websites across the country. The stated reason: child protection, amid what officials describe as a troubling rise in online child exploitation cases. The move also raises tricky questions about where necessary regulation ends and digital censorship begins. Click here for full story
From a tweet to a diplomatic row: the World Cup’s racism crisis 🌐
A racist tweet aimed at Mbappe, a xenophobic newspaper column from former Spanish PM Rajoy: World Cup 2026 is showing just how fast social media can amplify hate in football. From Yaounde to Madrid, here’s how a handful of posts spiraled into a full-blown diplomatic storm within a single week online. Click here for full story
Equatorial Guinea and Getesa’s six-month bet: can Huawei rescue a saturated network ? 🇬🇶 📡
Egypt: TikTok provides technological support to protect children from cybercrime 🇪🇬 🛡️
The Egyptian Minister for Communications has teamed up with TikTok to protect young people online. With a focus on STEM content and plans for a dedicated SIM card for minors, Egypt is turning to technology to tackle online abuse, whilst TikTok has already deleted 23.9 million children’s accounts worldwide. 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 ✌🏾😁
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