The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner has issued a warning to the public, advising against the dissemination of personal information on social media platforms.
This advisory comes in response to a growing trend where online users are orchestrating targeted attacks by sharing names, phone numbers, locations, and family details of individuals perceived to have committed wrongdoings.
This troubling trend escalated when the phone numbers of President William Ruto and several Members of Parliament were leaked on social media last week.
The leak was part of a public campaign urging the leaders to withdraw controversial tax proposals in the Finance Bill 2024.
Some MPs expressed distress over the deluge of unsolicited text messages and phone calls they received as a result of the leak.
The sharing of personal information persisted into this week, with details of officers involved in repelling protesters during Tuesday’s demonstrations against the Finance Bill being circulated online.
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) emphasized that these actions violate the law and warned that those responsible could face legal consequences.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ODPC noted, “The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has established that there has been a recent trend of consolidating and sharing of personal information (names, telephone numbers, location and details of family members) of a certain category of citizens through social media platforms.”
The ODPC further stated that this practice is occurring without the consent of the affected individuals, contravening Article 31 of the Constitution of Kenya, the Data Protection Act, 2019, and its associated regulations.
“In view of the foregoing, the Office wishes to advise members of public to refrain from further sharing of personal information which infringes on individuals’ rights to privacy,” the ODPC’s statement added.
In response to these violations, the Data Protection Commissioner has urged individuals whose privacy has been breached to file complaints with the commission.
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