Africa Lags Behind in Requesting User Information from Meta
According to Meta's 2024 Transparency Report, Africa is the region that least solicits the company for user information on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. While the United States, Europe, and India submit tens of thousands of requests every six months, African countries often have only a few dozen, sometimes none.
Top Requesting African Countries
The numbers published show that:
- Morocco leads with 1,188 requests in 2024
- Followed by Tunisia (121), Libya (68), Algeria (54), Ghana (38), South Africa (36), and Kenya (35) In comparison, the United States alone submitted over 150,000 requests in the same year.
Types of Information Requested
The requested information typically concerns criminal investigations, ranging from theft to kidnappings. Meta specifies that governments most often request basic data such as:
- User names
- Registration dates
- IP addresses In emergency cases, law enforcement can also submit requests without a court order, especially when there is an imminent risk of serious harm or death.
Low Volume of African Requests
The low volume of African requests raises questions. It may reflect:
- A lack of institutional and technical means
- The absence of harmonized legal frameworks
- Limited integration of digital data in judicial investigations Some states may also prioritize other forms of control, such as local surveillance or restrictions imposed on telecom operators.
The Digital Divide in African Justice Systems
This situation highlights a disconnect: while social media plays an increasingly important role in public life and is regularly associated with negative phenomena (cyberbullying, disinformation, pimping, hate speech), African judicial systems are slow to adapt their tools to the digital age. To address this, some countries have set up specialized structures, such as the Platform for Combating Cybercrime (PLCC) in Côte d'Ivoire or the Central Brigade for Combating Cybercrime (BCLCC) in Burkina Faso.
