Shalom,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses face investigation in Kenya
- Dollar scarcity hits payment providers
- Cameroon moves to revive phone tax revenue
Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses face investigation in Kenya
Kenya has opened an investigation into Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses after fresh concerns that the devices may be capturing and exposing highly sensitive user data. The probe is being led by the country’s data protection authorities, who are now questioning how the glasses collect, process, and share personal information.
At the centre of the issue are the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, AI-powered wearables that can record videos, take photos, and respond to voice commands. They were marketed as privacy-conscious devices, but recent investigations suggest otherwise, raising red flags for regulators in Kenya and beyond.
What this means is deeper scrutiny of how big tech handles user data, especially in emerging markets. Reports have revealed that footage captured by the glasses, including private and sensitive moments, may be reviewed by human contractors, some of whom are based in Kenya, as part of training the AI systems behind the product.
Why you should care is privacy. These glasses can capture everyday life in ways that are easy to miss, and in some cases, people being recorded may not even know it’s happening. Investigations have found that sensitive content, from financial details to intimate moments, has ended up in review pipelines, sparking global concerns about surveillance and consent.
What’s more, this isn’t just about Kenya. The controversy has already triggered lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny in other regions, including the US and UK, as governments try to catch up with fast-moving AI hardware. For Kenya, the probe puts it at the center of a global debate: how to balance innovation with protecting citizens’ data in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Dollar scarcity hits payment providers
Global tensions are doing what they often do, shaking markets far from where the conflict is happening. In Nigeria, the naira has felt the impact, briefly swinging from around ₦1,360 to ₦1,400 in the early days of the crisis before showing signs of stabilising.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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But beneath that surface calm, the pressure hasn’t gone away. For businesses that rely on cross-border payments, volatility is making it harder to source dollars, settle transactions, and plan. As uncertainty lingers, fintech tools, from alternative payment rails to USD-backed stablecoins, are quietly becoming lifelines for companies trying to keep trade moving.
Speaking on this, Verto CEO Ola Oyetayo says the FX market has become a “game of agility.” Dollar liquidity hasn’t disappeared, but it’s now fragmented, with banks and corporates holding on to foreign currency tightly. For payment providers, that means relying on a mix of global partnerships and smarter treasury strategies to avoid leaving customers stranded.
The ripple effect is already visible in pricing. As the naira swings, providers are widening spreads, not out of opportunism, but to manage risk from sudden shifts between transaction and settlement. It’s a delicate balance between staying competitive and staying afloat. For more on how businesses are navigating this moment, check out Chimgozirim’s latest.
Cameroon moves to revive phone tax revenue
Cameroon is trying to fix a tax policy that hasn’t quite worked out. The government says it is moving to unlock revenue from its controversial mobile phone tax, a levy introduced to tax imported devices but which has struggled with enforcement and pushback.
The tax, which targets smartphones brought into the country, was meant to boost government revenue and formalise device imports. But in practice, compliance has been low. Many users simply avoided paying, while enforcement proved difficult, leaving a significant chunk of expected revenue unrealised.
Now, authorities are looking at ways to revive the system, likely by tightening enforcement and improving how the tax is collected. The goal is to ensure more devices are properly registered and taxed, especially as smartphone adoption continues to grow across the country.
Why this matters is access versus revenue. On one hand, governments need new income streams, especially as digital economies expand. On the other hand, taxing devices risks making smartphones more expensive, potentially slowing down Internet access and digital inclusion in a market that still has room to grow.
Cameroon’s situation reflects a broader tension across Africa. Several countries have experimented with taxes on phones, SIM cards, or digital services, often with mixed results. The challenge remains the same: how to grow government revenue without pricing people out of the very digital tools driving economic participation.
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Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
