Huawei May Be Helping Governments in Africa Boost Their Power to Spy

MIN READSep 2, 2019 | 10:00 GMT

(PENG LIJUN/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Chinese tech firm Huawei has been increasing its footprint across Africa, providing countries with new technology and telecommunications equipment, including most notably 4G and 5G mobile networks. According to an Aug. 14 article in The Wall Street Journal, some of this expansion has involved Huawei technicians helping governments in Africa to spy on their political opponents. In Uganda, the technicians reportedly helped national security services penetrate the WhatsApp and Skype accounts of an opposition candidate, allowing them to examine his plans for street rallies and other political activities. In a separate case in Zambia, Huawei technicians supposedly helped telecommunications regulators access the phones and Facebook pages of opposition bloggers and pinpoint their locations....