The General Directorate of Land Transport and Traffic (DGTT) recently took a step towards "citizen policing" by inviting Ivorians to report traffic violations via WhatsApp. While the aim is to curb incivility on our roads, journalist and columnist Daouda Coulibaly is raising concerns. In an open letter, he analyzes the potential pitfalls of a system that, in his view, could prove counterproductive.

1. The specter of denunciation and manipulation

For Daouda Coulibaly, the line between civic duty and denunciation is blurred. He fears that this tool could become an instrument for settling personal scores .

Even more seriously, it raises the question of the integrity of the evidence:

1. Artificial Intelligence: In the digital age, image manipulation is within everyone's reach.
2. Truncated context: A photo can isolate a specific moment without reflecting the reality of an emergency or force majeure situation.
3. Verification: Without an extremely rigorous validation protocol, the risk of slanderous accusations is real.

2. Privacy and security paradoxes

The omnipresence of smartphones in public spaces raises an ethical issue regarding the protection of privacy . Turning every citizen into a surveillance agent could, in the long run, undermine individual freedoms.

The columnist also points out a dangerous irony: the risk of drivers manipulating their phones while driving to film an offense committed by others, thus creating a new immediate danger on public roads.

3. Towards more structural solutions

Rather than relying on unregulated citizen vigilance, Daouda Coulibaly advocates a long-term approach:

1. Increased official controls by law enforcement.
2. Increased road safety education from a young age.
3. Ongoing awareness-raising to fundamentally transform mindsets.

"Civic engagement is essential, but it must be carefully managed so that the solution does not create new social divisions." — Daouda Coulibaly