The rapid expansion of AI-powered mass surveillance systems across Africa is violating people’s right to privacy and having a chilling effect on society, according to human rights and emerging technology experts.
Eleven African governments are spending at least $2bn (£1.5bn) on Chinese-made surveillance technology that recognizes faces and monitors movements, according to a new report from the Institute for Development Studies, warning that national security is being used to justify introducing these systems with little regulation.
Chinese companies often sell the technology in packages that include CCTV systems, facial recognition, biometric data collection and cameras that track vehicle movements, and are presented as a tool for rapidly urbanizing countries to modernize their cities and reduce crime.
But researchers from the African Digital Rights Network, who co-authored the report, said there was no real evidence that these systems reduce crime and warned that they allow governments to surveil human rights defenders and political opponents, arrest protesters, and lead journalists to self-censorship.
“This massive and invasive AI-enabled surveillance of public spaces is not ‘lawful, necessary or proportionate’ to the legitimate purpose of providing security,” said Wairagala Wakabi, executive director of Kampala-based policy organization Sipesa and co-author of the report. “History shows that it is the latest tool used by governments to violate people’s privacy and suppress freedom of movement and expression.”
Nigeria is the biggest spender on infrastructure, having invested $470 million in 10,000 smart cameras by last year. There are 6,000 such units in Egypt, and approximately 5,000 each in Algeria and Uganda.
The 11 countries spent an average of $240 million, with investments often financed by loans from Chinese banks.
The report highlights the lack of regulation or legal framework around the storage and use of personal data as a concern given the rapid adoption of this technology, but Georgetown University assistant professor Bulelani Jiri said even introducing legislation could be dangerous.
Surveillance of online activity is often used to crack down on dissent and is legalized by laws that criminalize online postings by ordinary people. Giri said focusing on introducing legislation could only allow the government to claim that the system was justified.
“The real challenge is therefore not simply whether surveillance will be regulated, but how societies will negotiate the balance between security, accountability, and civil liberties once these technologies become deeply institutionalized,” he said.
He said there were already concerns that facial recognition was being used to surveil activists in Uganda, and that surveillance systems were being used to suppress Gen Z-led protests in Kenya.
He warned that this could pose a risk to anyone seen as a threat to the government in the future.
“When these technologies are integrated into policing and intelligence operations, historically marginalized communities, political activists, journalists, and minorities can be disproportionately affected,” Giri said.
Yosseur Jouini, who wrote the report’s section on Algeria, said these systems were initially introduced in the context of “smart city” projects that promised to fight crime and manage traffic, but in reality they were often primarily tools for security forces.
“This narrative is framed solely through the lens of security, ignoring other concerns and not providing sufficient mechanisms for citizens to ensure their rights are protected,” she said.
She highlighted how street protests in 2019 and 2021 played an important role in political change, but stressed that expanding surveillance systems could deter people from protesting in the future.
“We know that a number of protesters have been arrested when they have participated in public gatherings. We’re not sure if it’s on camera or not, but it’s had a chilling effect on people’s willingness to attend public gatherings, because that can happen.”
This article was amended on March 13, 2026 to remove the image.
