Session
Organizer 1: Amanda Manyame, EndCode
Organizer 2: Grace Mutung'u, Kenya ICT Action Network
Organizer 3: Ephraim Percy Kenyanito, ARTICLE 19
Speaker 1: Amanda Manyame, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 2: Grace Mutung'u, Civil Society, African Group
Speaker 3: Ephraim Percy Kenyanito, Civil Society, African Group
Grace Mutung'u, Civil Society, African Group
Amanda Manyame, Private Sector, African Group
Amanda Manyame, Private Sector, African Group
Round Table - Circle - 60 Min
3) Digital Safety to enable a healthy and empowering digital environment for all How can we develop concern for informational privacy among African communities that are now adopting by data privacy laws?
The issue this session seeks to address is the low concern for information privacy among African communities. For communities with newly enacted data protection laws, this means that the citizens won’t be aware of the rights in the law and cannot exercise them. Low concern for information privacy also leads to privacy violators not being held accountable due to low reporting and lack of action from the aggrieved. These new data protection laws across the African continent provide us with an opportunity to develop and create a unique African privacy culture.
GOAL 4: Quality Education
GOAL 5: Gender Equality
GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
GOAL 10: Reduced Inequalities
GOAL 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Description:
I am proposing a session where I will engage participants to discuss ways in which we can develop and increase concern for information privacy in African communities. This is in response to the ongoing data protection policy reform on the continent which is likely to be in vain if the people do not know of their rights under these laws. Many African countries have recently and some are currently enacting data protection laws. This is a good move especially in this technological age where personal data is considered a resource. These legal reforms provide citizens of these African states and opportunity they have never had before which is to exercise the rights provided for in the data protection laws. But they can only exercise these rights if they know about them and are concerned about their privacy. In the session, we will discuss how people who have for ages lived communal lives can be made to appreciate privacy rights that are so crucial in their lives. We will look at what governments, private sector, civil society can do to educate their people on the right to privacy and why it is important to them. All these should lead to strategies that the participants can use to increase concern for information privacy in their communities.
The key outcome is to map out a way of creating a culture of privacy across the African continent. The session will enable the participants to brainstorm and come up with strategies that may be used by all who are interested to developing the concern of informational privacy in their communities. The strategies and the general discussion will also be very important for a research paper that I am writing on the concern for informational privacy in Africa. The paper once written will be shared as it will contain a collation of all things touching on data protection and privacy culture in Africa, especially on the participants’ countries.
Our session will be a guided discussion where we expected everyone in the room to participate and contribute. Therefore we will have the organisers raise the discussions points before we open the floor for the rest of the participants.
Relevance to Internet Governance: The session relates to internet governance since it is an extension of the privacy and data protection discussion. With the advancement in technology in this internet age, a lot of personal data is being used in day to day businesses but many within the African continent do not seem to know the value of their personal information. Many do not seem to be concerned on how the privacy of their information is now more important than ever before and in this session, we seek to come up with strategies to make them concerned.
Relevance to Theme: The session is on concern for information privacy, which is basically a trust issue. A people who are concerned about their digital safety due to their knowledge in privacy and data protection will contribute to creating a healthy and empowering digital environment for all.
Usage of IGF Official Tool.