​In a move to reduce the risk of exposure of children to the adverse effects of technology as well as ensuring the protection of these vulnerable groups online, the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications – Minpostel Minette Libom Li Likeng organized a one day forum on Children’s online safety.

​Organized in collaboration with Meta Platforms, the event that had as venue the conference room of the Ministry took place under the theme “Towards a Safer Internet for Children : Challenges, Responsibilities and Concrete actions”.
​While opening the session, Minister Libom pointed out the fact that the protection of children online is not only the responsibility of government but a collective one that involves the children themselves, parents, educators, society, state authorities and electronic operators.

​“ We want to showcase that the protection of children online is not the task only for government, its like a coalition, a national coalition. Every actor must be involved: civil society, operators, and so on,” said Minpostel as she explained the raison d’être of the workshop which is to identify the different risks faced by children online and how an improvement can be made regarding protection mechanisms.

​Minister Libom Li Likeng further emphasized that failing to collaborate directly with major platforms like Meta—the owner of widespread applications like WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook where young people are heavily connected—could cause parents and authorities to make unsuitable decisions out of a lack of knowledge.

She reminded participants that Cameroon stands as a pioneer in the sub-region, having equipped itself in 2023 with a specific national charter on the protection of children online. This legislative framework drew Meta to the table to expose its developed protection mechanisms, creating an opportunity for all actors to become informed and work together.

​Representing Meta Platforms, Serge Mbengue affirmed that the company takes youth online protection seriously, having developed over 30 safety tools and features such as parental supervision and protective default product settings. Mbengue revealed that Meta has invested billions of dollars in hiring specialized safety teams and developing intelligent artificial intelligence to detect and eliminate harmful content before it is seen.

Congratulating Cameroon on its regulatory foresight, he maintained that online safety cannot be achieved by one company alone, but requires a collective approach binding platforms, governments, families, and private entities.

​Providing a local regulatory perspective, François Joseph Némété, the Deputy Director in charge of regulation of ICT and telecommunications, highlighted that the seminar was crucial for promoting responsible social media use among the youth. He noted that while various tools exist to control age access, monitor online activity, and signal platform abuse, they remain largely unknown to the general public.

Through the strategic collaboration between ANTIC and Meta, the ministry aims to widely popularize these mechanisms, ensuring that parents and all relevant stakeholders are fully sensitized and equipped to safeguard children.

Present at this workshop were various stakeholders including youths from the Cameroon National Youth Council – CNYC and universities.