By Kaamil Ahmed
Publication Date: 2026-03-12 06:00:00
The rapid spread of AI-powered mass surveillance systems across Africa is violating citizens’ right to privacy and having a chilling impact on society, according to human rights and emerging technology experts.
Eleven African governments have spent at least $2 billion (£1.5 billion) on Chinese-developed surveillance technology that recognizes faces and monitors movements, according to a new report from the Institute of Development Studies.
Chinese companies often sell the technology in packages that include CCTV systems, facial recognition, biometric data capture and cameras to track vehicle movements, and are presented as a tool to help rapidly urbanizing countries modernize their cities and reduce crime.
But researchers at the African Digital Rights Network, who co-authored the report, said there was no real evidence that these systems reduced crime and warned that they…
