• Senegal police, Meta discuss cooperation on online security

• Training planned for cybercrime units, law enforcement tools

• ITU ranks Senegal Tier 3 in 2024 cybersecurity index

Senegal’s Deputy Director General of the National Police, Controller General Abdoul Wahabou Sall, met last week with a delegation from Meta, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, to deepen cooperation on online security.

Talks focused on protecting minors on social media and improving coordination between law enforcement and the U.S. technology company. Meta representatives said they were ready to provide technical support and training, according to a police statement.

The partnership is expected to include training for specialized units, particularly the cybercrime division. Sessions on Meta’s law enforcement portal and investigative tools are planned to streamline the handling of legal requests and reported content.

The initiative reflects a broader trend across Africa, where governments are expanding cooperation with major technology firms as internet use accelerates. With cyber fraud, online harassment and illicit content on the rise, Senegalese authorities are adapting their investigative methods to a digital space that has become central to criminal activity.

Public institutions have also been hit. In October, the national tax platform was hacked. In early February, a cyberattack targeted the agency responsible for issuing identity cards, passports and biometric data, temporarily disrupting production of national identity cards.

Cooperation with digital platforms is increasingly seen as essential to identifying suspects and speeding up investigations. It also signals a shift in the role of security forces, which must now operate in cyberspace as much as on the ground.

Is Senegal equipped to cope?

In its 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index, the International Telecommunication Union gave Senegal a score of 67.17 out of 100, placing it in Tier 3. This category includes countries that have made initial commitments to cybersecurity by adopting or implementing recognized measures in a limited number of areas.

Since that assessment, the government has announced a $1.7 billion “Technological New Deal” aimed at turning Senegal into a regional technology hub by 2034. At its launch in February 2025, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said the government would work to build a sovereign digital space by strengthening cyber resilience, securing infrastructure, protecting critical data and gradually reducing reliance on foreign solutions.

Adoni Conrad Quenum