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Africa's malware problem

Africa's malware problem

Many Africans are buying Chinese-made smartphones that steal their information

Business Daily · BBC World Service

September 4, 202017m 28s

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Show Notes

Many Africans are buying Chinese-made smartphones that steal their information. Investigations have shown that the cheap devices are pre-installed with a kind of malware that drains the data allowance and in some cases signs the user up to subscription services without their knowledge. Nathan Collier, from security firm Malwarebytes explains how it works. But David Li of Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab says he's not convinced Chinese manufacturers are to blame for the problem. Meanwhile, with data literacy a big problem in Africa, Kenneth Adu-Amanfoh, Executive Director of ACDRO in Ghana says better consumer education is needed.

(Picture: A woman on her phone in Nigeria. Picture credit: Getty Images)