Kampala.
Lango Broadcasting Service (LBS) Radio Editorial.
The National Director of Personal data protection office under the National Information Technology Authority (NITA) Stella Alibateese has warned companies against the misuse of personal data collected from individuals for other illegal thing saying such companies and their staff risk being prosecuted.
She says the Personal Data protection office using the new regulation act will enforce a number of penalties depending on the offence including prosecuting the company together with the officers in charge with the highest penalty being a fine of 2% of the gross annual turnover of the company if convicted and imprisonment of up to 10 years to the staff implicated.
Alibateese was speaking to Lango Broadcasting Service Radio Thursday afternoon at the sidelines of the launch of a collaboration between personal data protection office and UNCDF that will enable the implementation and data protection in the Country.
Stella Alibateese speaking during the launch of collaboration between Personal Data Protection Office and UNCDF in Kampala 2nd September 2021. Photo by ( PDPO)
The partnership will support the development of a data protection and privacy portal that will ease registration of data controllers, data collectors and data processors; and the reporting, processing and resolving of data protection and data privacy complaints and breaches
Alibateese urged not only the data collectors, but also data controllers and data processors to respect the personal data they collect and process and that the individuals whom data is being collected from should understand and exercise their rights in respect of personal data because they will have no assurance that their personal data will be used lawfully or that It will be secured well after surrendering them if they didn’t interrogate.
She says her officer has taken strides in the enforcement of the new personal data protection and regulation act 2021 which include measures for easier compliance through awareness session and preparation of guidance notes.
The director added that they expect much more activity now that the regulations are in place, and the Office Is operational to address complaints from stakeholders and provide guidance on data protection and privacy matters.
The new regulation has also seen NITA-U developed a website www.pdpo.go.ug where all information on data protection and privacy from the Office will be found. This includes forms, guidance notes, webinar series and information on the activities of the Office will be found. The Office intends to create awareness and partnership with various stakeholders such as regulators, civil society, industry players on the law and the need to comply with it. These efforts have already started.
