Behind the biometric curtain: When border tech outpaces accountability

Business Insider

3 days ago

In an era where artificial intelligence and biometric surveillance are becoming the new frontiers of national security, a quiet struggle is unfolding—one not just of innovation, but of ethics, transparency, and trust. At the center of this unfolding narrative are companies like Travizory, a Swiss-based border tech startup, whose recent moves have sparked scrutiny from both industry peers and government watchdogs.
Across the globe, from South America to the Indian Ocean, the implications of fast-tracked technology contracts are coming under the microscope. This is not just a story about software and security, it's a cautionary tale for every government, especially in Africa, navigating the allure of digital border solutions without adequate oversight.
The Stakes in Kenya
This question has come to the forefront in Kenya, where controversy surrounds the management of the country's eCitizen platform—a critical national digital portal that connects citizens and tourists to government services ranging from visa issuance to tax payments.
At the center of the debate is Travizory that secured a contract to help digitize and manage parts of Kenya's travel authorization and border management ecosystem. The Travizory contract has created multiple risks: revenue leakage through foreign exchange spreads, personal data subject to Swiss rather than Kenyan privacy laws during the pilot period; and an opaque exit clause allowing Travizory to claim intellectual property indemnity fees if Kenya builds its own system. The issue, however, is not simply about foreign involvement, it is about the legal jurisdiction under which this data is being handled.
Travizory's contract in Kenya has been in contention not only because it collected and allegedly withheld the gross revenues owed to the government of Kenya, but it has personal data subject to Swiss rather than Kenyan privacy laws during the pilot period. This revelation has sparked serious concern among digital rights advocates, policymakers, and civil society organizations, who argue that such arrangements undermine Kenya's data sovereignty— the principle that the data of a country's citizens should be governed by that country's laws, not those of a foreign state.
Echoes in the Seychelles
This isn't the first time Travizory has been linked to questions of transparency and conflict of interest.
In Seychelles, an archipelago praised for topping Africa's Corruption Perception Index, the company is the central player in a growing controversy involving the nation's Minister of Transport, Antony Derjacques. The minister, whose law chamber reportedly advised Travizory, failed to disclose this connection while overseeing the company's 10-year government contract with Travizory for managing the country's digital travel authorization platform—a tool that became central during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seychelles opposition leader Sebastien Pillay has called for Derjacques' resignation, alleging a clear conflict of interest. The National Assembly is now grappling with how to circulate the confidential contract without breaching its non-disclosure clauses, raising even more concerns about transparency in public-private partnerships.
Why It Matters for Africa
For African nations investing heavily in digital identity, e-visas, and border modernization, the Travizory case offers valuable lessons.
Technology may be global, but accountability must be local. Governments entering agreements with fast-scaling tech vendors—particularly in high-trust areas like biometric surveillance, passenger data, and border security—must implement stronger vetting processes, conflict of interest safeguards, and ongoing performance audits.
This is especially important as African states look to digitize border control, often under tight deadlines and with support from international donors or multilateral partners. The risk? Falling for shiny demos without digging into a company's history, real-world deployments, or local partnerships.
The Bigger Picture
In a market where companies compete not just with technology but also perception, moments like these become inflection points. Travizory's allegations of corruption in Seychelles, Kenya and others that we have yet to uncover, should not be dismissed as isolated events—they're reflective of a deeper industry tension between growth, and governance.
And for African governments watching from the sidelines, now is the time to ask the right questions—not just can this be done, but by whom and at what cost?