The Workshop emphasizes the right to privacy and protection of personal information, freedom of expression and governance in the country.
Experts from the Digital Agenda for Tanzania Initiative, along with stakeholders from the Ministry of Information, Communications, and Information Technology, gathered at Best Western Dodoma City Hotel in Dodoma on February 23, 2024, to discuss the advocacy for digital rights.
The aim of the meeting was to present the findings of two reports conducted by the Digital Agenda Tanzania Initiative on biometric data recognition and the registration of SIM cards by mobile companies in the country. The research revealed that, despite the mobile companies’ success in delivering services, there are still deficiencies in protecting the right to privacy and the security of customers’ personal information.
Highlighting these deficiencies, the organization’s Executive Director, Peter Mmbando, stated that data protection, freedom of expression, and their governance management were identified as some of the networks’ shortcomings.
Mmbando emphasized that more education for citizens is needed to ensure the safety of their information and to help them avoid cybercrimes that have been occurring.
Data Privacy Expert in Tanzania, Mrisho Swetu, called on the community to be proactive in protecting their information. He stressed that sensitive biometric personal information, such as fingerprints, could have severe consequences if misused.
He also continued to urge regulators and data processors in the country to improve personal information protection standards and to continue providing education on personal data protection in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act, 2022. Regulators and processors should respect the right to privacy, which will help increase their customers’ trust.
Regarding the community, he said, government stakeholders and the private sector should continue to educate the public about the right to privacy and the protection of personal information. The community should be adequately educated about the protection of personal information and their rights, such as the right to request deletion of their data, the right to correction, and the right to compensation when the principles of the Personal Data Protection Act are violated.
Furthermore, he said, these trainings aim to reach all groups in society, in all regions, including plans for people with visual and hearing impairments. They are in the process of meeting with sign language experts to determine how this education can reach this particular community.
“The goal is to remind the community about the correct use of personal information, to know their rights, but it’s important they understand that if their personal information is misused, it can cause harm. However, they should also know where they can lodge complaints if there is a breach of the Personal Data Protection Act,” said Mrisho Swetu.
Senior Officer at the Human Rights and Governance Commission, Saidi Zuberi, mentioned that these trainings would help citizens protect their information and recognize their privacy rights.
He also called for educators from the data protection commission to have guidelines that can provide education on the right to privacy in the community.
The meeting successfully advocated for digital issues such as privacy, freedom of expression, and information disclosure from the providers of these telecommunications services.
