The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has warned against unauthorized sharing of personal data. Kenyans in recent weeks have been crowdsourcing personal information such as names, phone numbers, location and details of family members on social media.
This has been especially details for Members of Parliament. Other members of the public, especially celebrities, who were seen to support the Finance Bill 2024 also had their details exposed. Yesterday, during the #OccupyParliament protests against the bill, police officers also had their personal data shared on social media.
Now, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has come out to warn the public not to break the law. Sharing personal data without consent is in contravention of the Kenyan laws.
“This practice has been happening without the affected citizens consent contrary to the provisions of Article 31 of the Constitution of Kenya, the Data Protection Act, 2019 and its attendant regulations, ” stated the ODPC in a memo to the public.
Kenyans have been advised to cease this behavior as it infringes on individuals’ rights to privacy. The ODPC is also urging those affected to file a complaint with them.
In Kenya, the ODPC is mandated to regulate the processing of personal data; ensure that the processing of personal data of a data subject is guided by the principles set out in Section 25 of the Data Protection Act.
Read : Kenya’s Data Commissioner Sends Clear Message with Heavy Penalties
Since it was established, the office has punished incidents of privacy infringements. These cases have so far largely targeted institutions and not individuals.
