Senegal’s Deputy Director General of the National Police, Abdoul Wahabou Sall, last week met with a delegation from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, to deepen cooperation on online security.
Discussions focused on protecting minors on social media and improving coordination between Senegalese law enforcement and Meta. Meta representatives pledged technical support and training to strengthen investigative capabilities, according to a police statement.
The partnership will include specialized training for cybercrime units, sessions on Meta’s law enforcement portal, and use of investigative tools to streamline the handling of legal requests and reported content.
This initiative comes as Senegal adapts to a growing digital landscape, where cyber fraud, online harassment, and illicit content are increasingly prevalent. Public institutions have also faced cyber threats, including a hack of the national tax platform in October and a cyberattack on the identity management agency in early February, temporarily disrupting national identity card production.
Authorities see collaboration with global digital platforms as crucial for identifying suspects, accelerating investigations, and expanding the role of security forces into cyberspace.
In the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index by the International Telecommunication Union, Senegal scored 67.17 out of 100, ranking in Tier 3 for making initial commitments to cybersecurity in limited areas. Since then, the government launched a $1.7 billion “Technological New Deal” in February 2025, aiming to make Senegal a regional technology hub by 2034. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye pledged to strengthen cyber resilience, secure critical infrastructure, protect data, and gradually reduce reliance on foreign solutions.
