Presidential election 2025 in Cameroon: a new security flaw for Elecam?

Online access to voters’ personal data

With just a few months to go before Cameroon’s presidential election, the agency in charge of organizing the ballot, Elecam, is once again in turmoil. Since March 26, an alert launched by digital activist Rémi Tassing, then relayed by entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong, has revealed that the personal data of voters registered on the electoral roll was freely accessible on the Elecam website. The site was immediately taken offline, but the damage was done.

A serious flaw in a tense political context

An institution already contested by the opposition

This data leak comes at a time when Elecam is regularly accused of bias by opposition parties, who question its independence from the government. This incident only reinforces mistrust in the transparency of the electoral process and fuels suspicions about the agency’s ability to calmly manage the presidential poll scheduled for 2025.

An invasion of privacy

Risks of phishing, harassment or electoral manipulation

Putting sensitive information such as names, addresses and voting centers online is a clear violation of the privacy of Cameroonian voters. This exposure could encourage phishing practices, attempts at electoral fraud, or targeted pressure on certain groups of voters. Questions are now being asked about the cybersecurity measures put in place by Elecam, and whether these practices comply with national and international data protection laws.

Opaque crisis management

A silence that raises questions

Since the revelation of this flaw, Elecam has issued no clear official statement on the extent of the leak or the corrective measures envisaged. This lack of transparency fuels criticism and further weakens the agency’s legitimacy, in a context where citizens’ confidence in electoral institutions is already very low.

Conclusion

An exposed electorate, a weakened democracy

This massive leak of personal data casts a shadow over the organization of Cameroon’s 2025 presidential election. By compromising voter confidentiality, Elecam is jeopardizing not only the security of its citizens, but also the credibility of the democratic process. If clear answers and serious guarantees are not forthcoming soon, Cameroonians’ already fragile trust in their electoral system could collapse, with potentially serious consequences for participation and political stability.