China Exports Cyber Surveillance To Africa

China has consistently been ranked by digital advocates as the world’s worst abuser of Internet freedom. 

The country, however, isn’t just tightening online controls at home but is becoming more brazen in exporting some of those techniques abroad including in Africa, says a new report from the US-based think tank Freedom House.

Using a mix of official training, providing technological infrastructure to authoritarian regimes, and insisting that international companies accept its content regulations even outside of China, Beijing is becoming adept at controlling information both inside and outside its borders. 

Together, these trends present “an existential threat to the future of the open internet and prospects for greater democracy around the globe,” the Washington DC-based non-profit said.

The study assessed developments related to internet freedom that took place between June 2017 and May 2018 in 65 countries across the world.

The issue of internet freedom and its link to China has gained urgency as the nation’s tech behemoths expand globally to disrupt industries as varied as communications, e-commerce, facial recognition technology, and artificial intelligence. 

As part of its Belt & Road infrastructure project, the Asian giant is also developing a “digital Silk Road” that will establish fiber optic networks across the developing world. 

But given the close links between Chinese tech companies and the government, experts have warned that these digital systems could be used for Beijing’s intelligence operations and electronic surveillance.

Over the past year, China hosted sessions on its sprawling system of censorship and surveillance for media officials from countries such as Morocco, Egypt, and Libya. Last November, it also held a two-week seminar on “Cyberspace Management for Officials of Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.” 

Freedom House says “it is not always clear what transpires during such seminars,” but that the meetings have usually been followed by the introduction of cybersecurity laws that closely resemble China’s own law including in Uganda and Tanzania.

Chinese companies are also playing a prominent role in their push to install internet and mobile networking equipment across Africa. The Shenzhen-based Transsion Holdings, for instance, is now Africa’s largest phone maker. 

Startups like CloudWalk is undertaking a mass facial recognition program in Zimbabwe. Huawei is advising Kenya on its information and communication technology master plan.

But while building these infrastructures is crucial for the continent, there’s also fear that China could use “backdoor mechanisms” to access massive amounts of personal, government and financial data. 

Earlier this year, reports showed that Beijing bugged the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, which it helped build, and transferred data for more than five years.

Beijing is taking these steps even as African governments increasingly look at the Internet as a threat, using a motley of targeted shutdowns, surveillance, and arbitrary legislation to silence digital users. 

Citing fake news, increasing online “gossip,” and plans to boost domestic revenues, governments have also begun taxing Internet bundles, introducing a costly impact not just on democracy and social cohesion, but on economic growth, innovation, and net neutrality.

Defense One:

You Might Also Read:

China’s Electronic Surveillance Program Targets Muslims:

China Wants To Use AI To Predict Civil Disorder:

 

« Russian Internet Research Agency Has A New Propaganda Campaign
GDPR Alert As Average ICO Fines Double In A Year »

Infosecurity Europe
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Clayden Law

Clayden Law

Clayden Law advise global businesses that buy and sell technology products and services. We are experts in information technology, data privacy and cybersecurity law.

Resecurity

Resecurity

Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence.

The PC Support Group

The PC Support Group

A partnership with The PC Support Group delivers improved productivity, reduced costs and protects your business through exceptional IT, telecoms and cybersecurity services.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 7,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

Riverbed Technology

Riverbed Technology

The Riverbed Network and Application Performance Platform enables organizations to visualize, optimize, accelerate and remediate the performance of any network for any application.

Usenix

Usenix

Usenix brings together the community of engineers, system administrators, scientists, and technicians working on the cutting edge of computing.

CyberPilot

CyberPilot

CyberPilot ApS is a Danish cybersecurity company. We work with all types of companies and organisations, both large and small, who want to achieve effective cybersecurity.

OneVisage

OneVisage

Our award-winning 3DAuth digital identity platform turns any consumer mobile device into a real-time 3D facial scanner that securely authenticates the user in seconds.

SafenSoft (SnS)

SafenSoft (SnS)

SafenSoft delivers high-efficiency, low-impact proactive protection against malware, insider threats, and confidential data leakage.

XM Cyber

XM Cyber

XM Cyber is a leading hybrid cloud security company that’s changing the way innovative organizations approach cyber risk.

ZARIOT

ZARIOT

ZARIOT's mission is to restore order to what is becoming connected chaos in IoT by bringing unrivalled security, control and quality of service.

Appsian Security

Appsian Security

Appsian provides powerful solutions that help organizations take control of their business critical data and financial transactions.

Randaemon

Randaemon

RANDAEMON’s mission is to create True Random Number Generators (TRNG) that are hardware-based and integrated into System-on-Chip.

Cyber1

Cyber1

CYBER1 is a leader in cyber security advisory and solutions. We are uniquely placed to help customers achieve cyber resilience and thus, safeguard reputation and value.

NetApp

NetApp

The NetApp portfolio includes intelligent cloud services, data services, and storage infrastructure that helps organizations manage applications and data everywhere across hybrid cloud environments.

Northdoor

Northdoor

Northdoor provides a comprehensive set of services around information security and works with leading global technology vendors to deploy and manage cyber security solutions.

Peris.ai

Peris.ai

Peris.ai is a cybersecurity as a service startup that protects businesses and organizations from online threats.

Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI)

Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI)

NCRI provides pioneering technology, research, and analysis to identify and forecast cyber-social threats targeting individuals, organizations, and communities.

Amplix

Amplix

In the race to create value for your enterprise, Amplix is your best asset for making technology decisions and optimizing your IT infrastructure, cloud usage, and security posture.

RedArx Cyber Group

RedArx Cyber Group

At RedArx Cyber Group, our vision is to empower businesses with cutting-edge, proactive security solutions that safeguard their digital landscapes.