#FichaUchi: Insights from Focus Group Discussions on Data Protection
In 2023, the Ficha Uchi Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) covered 9 counties, aiming to delve deeper into citizens’ perceptions of personal data. This is what we learned.
Data Protection in the Rise of Fraud ahead of new digital ID system launch.
Most of us, if not all, have had someone politely call or message them asking for MPesa Refunds which often sound like, “Nancy, nimekutumia 5K kwa MPesa by mistake, naomba unirudishie.” (Nancy, I have erroneously sent you Kes. 5,000, kindly send it back) or “ Niko na mtoto hospitalini, ameumwa na nyoka. Please nitumie pesa…
#FichaUchi: Understanding citizen behaviour on data rights and data protection
Every day, we willingly or unwillingly disclose our personal information to individuals or organisations, often without awareness of how this data may be utilised. At the Open Institute, we have been educating Kenyans on how to handle their personal data more carefully, and what their data rights are, through a social media campaign dubbed #FichaUchi.…
#FichaUchi: The WorldCoin Craze and what it means for Kenyans
The World Coin phenomenon has rightly brought to the fore the conversation on data privacy and how our sensitive personal information can be collected and misused. World Coin, a company whose parent Tools for Humanity has obtained a registration certificate from the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to collect Kenyans data, has been trending…
Examining Data Protection Practices In Kenya & Africa: Launching Key Data Reports
The Open Institute and Amnesty continue to lead the push for the championing of Data Protection and Data Rights in Kenya and beyond.
Launching two reports resulting from studies on data protection practices and regimes in Kenya and beyond, we look forward to engaging with more stakeholders on this key issue of our times.
#FichaUchi: Guard your personal data
#FichaUchi is a social media campaign that was aimed at demystifying the Data Protection concept by providing factual, age-appropriate information about Data Protection.
Open Data and Personal Data Protection – Al Kags on Ole Law Podcast
Our Executive Director, Al Kags, was featured on the Ole Law Podcast where the issues of active citizenship and responsive governments – our main mandate as an organisation – were discussed.
Data protection and open government – are these compatible tenets in the Kenyan context?
Open government is an inclusive and participatory approach to governance that allows citizens to be involved in the formulation and eventual implementation of public policies, and has been recognized as a catalyst for democracy and inclusivity in sustainable growth. Government is open when it follows the principles of transparency, accountability and participation; key initiatives include open data, public participation, open contracting, open parliament, among others.
WhatsApp’s new Terms & Conditions: What they mean to us
Eight years after it gained popularity in Kenya, WhatsApp is now not only owned by Facebook but has more features added to it making it more appealing for masses and increasing its penetration in most countries worldwide. With the new ownership came new terms and conditions in 2012 which most users agreed to without reading. A new set of terms and conditions were unveiled by the company early this year which caused quite a stir online. Data protection experts, governments and civil societies went up in arms with the new terms and the extent in which individual and business data is collected from the platform.
At the Open Institute, we convened an informal lunch time chat to discuss the new terms and conditions and to try and explain what the impact of them would be to the everyday citizen.
The Next Best Time To Restore Data Rights Is Now!
Written by ‘Gbenga Sesan This is a guest blog written by the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, a key #RestoreDataRights partner from the Nigerian region, emphasising the importance of data governance issues in Africa as outlined in the Restore Data Rights declaration which calls for responsible data use on the continent. On January 1, 2020,…