Our recent online and highly unscientific poll showed that a majority of Ugandans do not really care about what happens to their personal data online.

We ran Part I. of this series investigating the current mindsets, regulatory aspects, and human rights implications around data privacy and protection here in Uganda.

In order to enrich the discussion, we held the first Data Rights Forum on May 10th, 2018 at the Innovation Village in Ntinda, where we brought in experts to weigh in on the topic. The half-day event drew in people from a diverse range of sectors, showing how widespread the implications around data privacy are.

We started the day with a quick introduction from Neema Iyer, founder at Pollicy, and Ashnah Kalamera, Program Manager at CIPESA to frame the conversation for the day. This was followed by a few quick words of blessing from David Kaddu from the National IT Authority (NITA-U).

Lightning Talks

Three experts then took the stage to present their thoughts through lightning talks and Q&A. Dorothy Mukasa from Unwanted Witness talked about the “Relevance of Data Protection in the Modern Age”. Bernard Wanyama stole the spotlight with his insights into how the upcoming GDPR in the EU will affect Ugandan businesses and practices. Lastly, Lillian Nalwoyo passionately spoke about how data privacy directly affects citizen participation in political processes. She emphasized the amount of needless information collected with no secure means of storage or transparency on who might even store the data. Data privacy affects how we access services and why we decide to exercise our rights as citizens.

Our Internet, My Rights

We then launched our latest platform, Our Internet, My Rights, a creative media project aiming to break down daunting concepts around internet freedom into simple bite-sized information for general consumption. There is a vital role for art to play in advocating for internet rights and awareness by ensuring that citizens are informed and empowered when it comes to their digital lives. The content will contribute to advocacy for internet rights and awareness by ensuring that citizens are informed about their digital rights. For wider audience reach, the content will be translated into multiple languages such as Kiswahili and Luganda.

This project seeks to create work on the web, about the web, for the average Ugandan citizen to better understand important issues around online safety, privacy, and participation, in an increasingly monitored and monetized world. The project seeks to explore themes around digital rights as it relates to freedom of expression and democratic participation in online spaces.

Panel Discussion

We closed the morning session with an exciting panel bringing in varied perspectives from four different sectors: healthcare, journalism, human rights, and law. Samson Jarso (Andromeda Innovation), Laura Tich (ANCIR), Mark Kiggundu (DefendDefenders), and Gerald Abila (Barefoot Law) helped us understand how data privacy affects each sector. We learned about new concepts such as ethical hacking, the need for better patient protection and upskilling the citizenry on digital safety practices, and an understanding of the laws in place.

We ended the day with an afternoon session focused on digital security training led by Laura from ANCIR/Code for Africa for people working within journalism and civil society.

Overall, the conversation was rich. Our plans are to put down these discussions into writing with the aim of creating a stronger network of advocates to push for better data privacy laws and implementation to protect Ugandan citizens, whether it pertains to their health records or their social media accounts.

What’s next?

Let’s work with our governments to ensure that sensible and responsible laws are passed to protect our digital rights. Let’s work together, let’s show up, let’s create the future we want.

Visit the Our Internet, My Rights website for an immersive experience into these issues through illustrations and animations. The website is a living document that will be updated as events around data privacy unfold in the region. We would love to hear any feedback or collaborative opportunities from you! Drop us a line at info at pollicy dot org.

Written by Neema Iyer, Founder at Pollicy