‘Don’t give personal data to unregistered companies’
The Data Processing Commission of Ghana (DPCG) has advised the general public not to give out their personal information to data registration and processing companies that are not registered with the commission.
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Those doing that do so at their own risk, the commission said in a statement.
It also warned that “a person who fails to register as a data controller but processes personal information commits an offence under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), and will be liable to prosecution by the commission.”
The statement also announced that the commission had started the registration of existing data controllers and processors in the country.
The registration, it said, aimed at creating a database of details of all institutions receiving the data of individuals living in the country.
It added that the registration, which started on May 1, would end on June 30.
The registration is in line with the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), the release said.
Once registered, the statement added, the database of all data processors and controllers would then be uploaded onto the commission’s website for easy access by the general public.
This is in line with the commitment to ensuring openness and transparency in data handling, the statement said.
The DPCG was established in 2012 as a public institution with oversight of the institutions that collect, process and/or manage data in the country.
Its key functions currently include implementation and monitoring to ensure compliance with the provisions of Act 843, investigation of complaints and making determinations as per the law as well as the maintenance of a Data Protection Register.
— GB
