Africa's most popular phones have a tracking problem
Research into Transsion smartphones, popular in Africa, has revealed hidden tracking software that collects user location, app usage, and camera activity. The data is transmitted to company servers using encrypted channels that are easily bypassed by the phone's own software.
Roughly one in two smartphones sold in Africa is made by a company most buyers have never heard of. Transsion , a Shenzhen-based manufacturer, owns the Tecno, Infinix and Itel brands, which together accounted for about 48% of African smartphone shipments in 2025 – more than 40 million of the 84.4 million handsets shipped on the continent last year, according to Omdia data.
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