Tech companies scope out African surveillance sector

At a security exhibition in Morocco tech companies pushed to convince African officials that their state-of-the-art surveillance tools are the key to stability and development.

The African Security ExhibitionConference (ASEC) Expo in Rabat, billed by organizers as the first of its kind on the continent, last week brought together firms from across the world looking to conquer new markets in a region marked by rapid urbanization andeconomic growth.

And while Europe has slapped restrictions on an industry eyed with suspicion by many due to civil liberty concerns, African countries with lax legislation make tempting partners.

Chinese communications giant Huawei had a large presence at the event, talking the success of networks already installed in the capitals of Kenya, Cameroon, Mali and the Ivory Coast.

"When a crime has been committed, thanks to the cameras, we work magic," said Ghanian security minister Albert Kan-Dapaah in a promotional clip for the company.

"My command center is the envy of many of my colleagues."

Huawei has already equipped more than 700 cities in 100 countries, including more than 25 in Africa, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

A representative of South Korea's Hanwha Group said the African market was "very strong... because there is a lot of opportunities for us to supply our products".

"We had a lot of sales last year and this year," particularly in Egypt and South Africa, Yoonboom Choi said.

European concerns

The new high-tech command centers of "safe cities" are capable of instantly detecting anything from everyday crimes and accidents to natural disasters and civil unrest－and to trigger quick responses.

Withbig dataand artificial intelligence, crowds are no longer anonymous.

Facial recognition algorithms coupled with troves of readily available data online can pinpoint the identity of anyone who passes by a surveillance feed.

Vehicles can be identified by their number plates, and ultra-high tech software can even detect human emotions and predict behavior.

"We can establish anyone's identity without knowing him – his first and last name, academic background... his family, what he prefers, where he travels," Huawei regional representative Chakib Achour said.

Thesedata setsare useful to police pursuing criminals and to companies looking for potential customers, advocates say.

But the risk of mass surveillance has sparked concerns among civil liberties advocates.

Authoritarian regimes across Africa are frequently accused of violating rights to stamp out opposition.

In its annual report for 2019 Human Rights Watch singled out Egypt for using counterterrorism measures and security concerns "as a guise to crush all forms of dissent".

Fears over surveillance spurred the European Union in 2018 into enacting a strict new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Europe now has restrictions on "technology that could be developed in the Middle East or Africa", said Francois Levy, regional director of Brazilian software company Digifort.

(CGTN)