Camagüey Officials Urged to Shift Institutional Communication to ToDus

An audio clip allegedly from Kenny Ortigas, the provincial director of Culture in Camagüey, has been circulating on social media, directing sector leaders to transition internal communication to the Cuban app ToDus.

According to a Facebook post by journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, who claimed to have received the audio, Ortigas also instructs the closure of the current WhatsApp group used for communication.

In the voice message, Ortigas addresses "provincial institution directors" and "municipal directors," emphasizing the necessity for everyone to download ToDus, as the plan is to migrate to this app soon. He mentions that the existing group will be shut down, and operations will continue on ToDus.

The audio further provides guidance on the installation process of the app. Ortigas explains accessing Apklis (referred to as “Apecalis” in the audio) via a web browser to find ToDus — described as “a little red symbol” — to download and install it, likening the app to “a messaging service... similar to WhatsApp.”

Ortigas outlines a brief timeline for the transition, suggesting, “We will take the rest of the week, maybe by Monday, and by Tuesday... we should be ready to start adding people” to a new group he would personally manage “for work purposes.”

Tan's post on Facebook attracted numerous reactions. Some comments indicated that similar directives were issued in “other organizations,” with certain places prohibiting the use of WhatsApp for information exchange.

Several users expressed skepticism towards ToDus, viewing it as an attempt to tighten control over communications. This move to shift institutional communication to the Cuban app ToDus doesn't happen in isolation, but amid a growing debate over the use of state-controlled digital platforms.

Recently, ToDus has faced criticism on social media for its functionality and, importantly, concerns over privacy. An official campaign on Facebook promoting the app's supposed benefits sparked a wave of skeptical comments.

Many Cubans claimed that “nobody uses it” and warned that the platform might be linked to state security agencies. Critics also noted that the app's popularity has waned, sustained only by government backing despite its technical limitations.

Controversy erupted in June 2025 when ToDus administrators publicly admitted that they would hand over users' private data if required by the Cuban government. This admission, made through the app’s official account on the social network X, outraged activists and users, who saw it as evidence that the so-called “technological sovereignty” is merely an extension of the state’s surveillance apparatus.

Since then, many have warned about the dangers of installing government-promoted apps, as digital trust continues to erode across the island.