Your Travel eSIM is Secretly Routing Your Data Through China

That convenient digital SIM card you bought for vacation? It’s sending your internet traffic through foreign networks without telling you. Here’s what researchers just discovered. Think your travel eSIM is connecting you directly to local networks? Think again. Your photos, messages, and browsing data might be taking a detour through China before reaching the internet.

You’re sitting in a Paris café, using your Irish eSIM provider to upload photos to social media. You assume your data travels through European networks to reach Instagram’s servers.

Instead, your photos first route through Hong Kong via China Mobile’s network, then bounce to Singapore, before finally reaching their destination. Your “local” connection just became an international journey through multiple jurisdictions.

This isn’t theoretical. Researchers from Northeastern University just tested 25 popular travel eSIM providers and discovered a disturbing pattern: your data routinely travels through foreign telecommunications infrastructure without any disclosure to customers.

While you thought you were buying connectivity in your destination country, you were actually buying a ticket for your data to tour foreign networks.

Travel eSIMs promise simple connectivity: buy a plan, install it on your phone, and connect to local networks wherever you travel. The reality is far more complex.

Security researchers found that popular eSIM providers including Holafly, Airalo, and eSIM Access routinely route user traffic through unexpected countries. In one documented case, an eSIM from Ireland-based Holafly routed connections through China Mobile’s network, assigning users IP addresses from Hong Kong.

The result? Users appeared to be located in China when they were physically elsewhere, without any notification from the provider.

The routing process happens invisibly in the background:

Profile activation: You install an eSIM profile from a travel provider, expecting local connectivity.

Network assignment: Instead of connecting to truly local infrastructure, your device gets assigned to partner networks that may be located anywhere in the world.

Traffic routing: Your internet requests route through whatever network the provider has arranged, regardless of your physical location or the provider’s advertised country of origin.

Silent redirection: All of this happens without notification. You have no way to know which countries your data passes through.

The research documented users successfully accessing region-restricted content they shouldn’t be able to reach, proving their traffic was exiting in unexpected locations.

This routing creates serious risks that go beyond simple inconvenience:

Jurisdictional exposure: When your data travels through foreign countries, it becomes subject to those countries’ surveillance laws and data sharing agreements. Your vacation photos could be accessible to foreign governments without your knowledge.

Data sovereignty violations: Many countries have laws requiring citizen data to remain within national borders. eSIM routing can violate these requirements without users realizing it.

Corporate espionage risks: Business travelers using these eSIMs may inadvertently expose sensitive corporate communications to foreign intelligence services.

Legal complications: Accessing restricted content through unintended routing could violate local laws in both your physical location and the routing destination.

The scariest part? The study found that eSIM profiles engage in “proactive communication” without user knowledge, silently establishing connections to servers and retrieving messages from foreign numbers.

Research your eSIM provider’s routing policies before purchasing. Ask directly about data routing practices and demand transparency about which networks your traffic will use.

Always use a VPN when connecting through travel eSIMs. This creates an encrypted tunnel that protects your data regardless of which networks it passes through.

Monitor your apparent location while using eSIMs. Check what IP address you’re assigned and verify it matches your expected location using services like whatismyipaddress.com.

The routing issues stem from how the travel eSIM market actually works behind the scenes.

Extremely low barriers to entry: Researchers discovered that becoming an eSIM reseller requires nothing more than “a valid email address and method of payment.” This means virtually anyone can start selling eSIM services without proper vetting.

Extensive access to user data: eSIM resellers gain access to International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) numbers and, in some cases, device location information accurate to within 800 meters. They can even send SMS messages directly to users without permission.

Centralized routing through cost-saving networks: Many travel eSIM providers rely on centralized breakout points and sponsor networks that exit traffic far from users to reduce costs, creating the exact opacity problems the study highlights.

Warning signs of problematic providers:

Signs of more reliable providers:

While travel eSIM providers hide their routing through foreign networks, QUX® operates on transparency and user control principles from the ground up.

You know where your data travels. QUX® doesn’t route your communications through hidden foreign networks or undisclosed third-party infrastructure. Your digital activities follow clear, documented paths.

Direct connection control. With QUX®, you choose how you connect when traveling. Use WiFi when convenient, or switch to ethernet at hotels when you want maximum security for sensitive communications. No mysterious routing through foreign telecom networks.

No hidden network partnerships. QUX® doesn’t have secret arrangements with Chinese telecom providers or other foreign networks that process your data without your knowledge.

The upcoming QUX Connex™ communication platform will revolutionize how you stay connected while traveling, offering the transparency that travel eSIM providers refuse to provide.

Honest routing disclosure. QUX Connex™ will clearly show you exactly which networks your communications use, unlike eSIM providers that secretly route through foreign infrastructure.

User-controlled privacy. Choose your connection paths and communication security levels based on your actual travel needs, not hidden cost-saving arrangements.

Post-quantum encryption ready. QUXConnex™ builds on QUX®‘s proven 4096-bit encryption technology, ensuring your travel communications remain secure against current and future threats.

The travel eSIM routing study reveals a fundamental problem with how connectivity providers handle your data. When companies secretly route your internet traffic through foreign networks to save money, they’re prioritizing profits over your privacy.

Whether your data routes through China, Singapore, or anywhere else matters less than the fact that providers aren’t telling you it’s happening. This lack of transparency creates privacy risks that travelers can’t properly assess or protect against.

The study found that eSIM profiles can even establish silent connections and retrieve messages without user knowledge, showing how little control you actually have over your travel connectivity.

QuxPay takes the opposite approach. We build transparency into the foundation rather than hiding routing decisions behind cost-saving arrangements. Your financial communications get honest protection instead of secretive routing through unknown foreign networks.

Discover transparent financial freedom with QUX® – where your data isn’t secretly routed through foreign surveillance networks.

Because in a world where your vacation eSIM can send your data through China without telling you, choosing financial services that protect your privacy by design isn’t just smart. It’s essential.

Disclaimer: This analysis discusses publicly reported security research and is intended for educational purposes. All product names and trademarks are property of their respective companies. Security claims about any platform should be independently verified. Past security incidents do not predict future performance.