Unwanted Witness, the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance and the Personal Data Protection Office Uganda are set to organize the 3rd edition of the Privacy Symposium Africa. The event will be held from 3rd- 5th November, 2021.
It will be a hybrid mixture of virtual and physical under a theme “Data Protection: A New Dawn in Africa”
While speaking to journalists on Monday at Ministry of ICT headquarters in Kampala, the Executive Director of Unwanted Witness Dorothy Mukasa said the symposium has come at a time when over 24 African countries, Uganda inclusive have enacted Data Protection laws. She said the enactment of data laws is a progressive development on the entire continent, especially during the Covid-1,9 Pandemic when technology continues to support lives and economies.
“Despite the scale of the public health and economic challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic, African governments and Private sector actors mustn’t back-track from the fundamental data governance and privacy principles,” Ms Mukasa said.
She added that the pandemic has increased trends of collecting, processing and sharing of large scale personal health and behavioural data. While some of these measures may prove effective in helping contain outbreaks, actors should ensure these tools are implemented with full transparency, accountability and a commitment to swiftly cease or reverse exceptional uses of data when the crisis is over.
Stella Alibatesa the Director National Data Protection office welcomed the symposium and said it will discuss privacy not only in Uganda but developments within Africa.
“This is the third, we had the previous one though they came up to a large extent when we were looking at the Bill they raise a lot of awareness. Partnership helps to raise awareness especially in such a time where have all the laws in place but I’m sure many people are not aware of them. I’m very grateful to unwanted witnesses and for the ministry for enabling this symposium because they are both critical partners of ensuring that we enforce the right to privacy and wherever your personal data is collected that those who collect it know why they are collecting it, transparent to you to know how they will use and for how long they will keep it,” Ms Alibatesa noted.
She noted symposiums such as the forthcoming one not onnly create awareness but they also start that much-needed discussion on these issues.
Julius Torach, Commissioner for Information Technology and E-service at Ministry ICT who represented the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary appreciated the move by Unwanted Witness for raising data privacy awareness and establishment of knowledge sharing platforms.
“The world today is experiencing huge volumes, variety and velocity of data. Data is now one of the most important resources in the world and the big tech companies such as Google, Amazon all thrive on data. It drive science and innovation. Data concerning individuals is collected stored and processed regularly by institutions both public and private with the high risk of abuse and misuse hence the importance of this symposium.”
Mr Torach said the government has already expressed its commitment to the adoption of continental and global based practices by enacting the data protection and privacy act that was assented to by the President on 25th February 2019 and was gazetted on 3rd of May the same year.
“Besides having in place the necessary legal regulatory environment for data protection it’s also government’s target to enhance digital services, cyber security and data privacy.”
The event will attract over 30 speakers from different communities such as ICT experts, academia, lawyers regulators, policymakers and Civil Society who will share ideas for 3 days.
It will be crowned with the launch of a Privacy Scorecard report at an invite and only event at Serena Hotel. The Scorecard report will present information on how different data collectors/ processors comply with the principles and standards of data protection. It will also turn a spotlight on how the policies of private and public either advance or hinder the privacy rights of users.
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