Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has formally announced the country's Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and urged businesses and organizations processing personal data to strictly abide by the Commission's authority.
The inauguration ceremony was held on April 3 at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in the capital, Dar es Salaam.
The president said the data protection authority was established to ensure that the dignity and privacy of Tanzanians as reflected in data is protected, Citizen Tanzania reported. This will ensure the enforcement of the Personal Information Protection Act, which will come into effect in 2022.
He said the organization would work to prevent incidents involving the disclosure of personal information that occur in other parts of the world from happening in Tanzania.
He also cited examples of “private companies obtaining individuals' personal information against people's rights and using that information for commercial gain,” and “individuals hacking systems to collect personal data.” He also cited examples of “malicious acts.”
In his remarks, the President also emphasized the importance of integrating all government agencies to achieve an effective digital government by the end of this year. This is the call she made on her previous outing.
The PDPC announcement comes as Tanzania plans to switch to a national digital identity system called 'Jamii Namba' that will issue citizens with a unique identification number (NIN) and facilitate access to vital public services. It was held at a time when
Earlier this year, the government reiterated its desire to fully integrate AI into its digital government plans to streamline the delivery of public services.
The Personal Information Protection Commission will immediately launch bold actions to ensure the protection of citizens' data in a variety of areas, including the SIM card registration process, where a report released last year found serious data protection loopholes. It is expected that.
Article topics
Africa | Biometrics | Data Protection | Digital ID | Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) | Tanzania