Articles: GHANA

-DATA PROTECTION AND PRIVACY-

Data Protection Bill Passed

The parliament of Ghana has passed the Data Protection Bill into an Act to set out the rights and responsibilities of data controllers, data processers and data subjects in relation to personal data. The Act, which is awaiting presidential assent to be fully operational, is also intended to establish a Data Protection Commission. This will provide for the protection of privacy relating to individuals including the process by which information is obtained, held, used or disclosed. It provides a framework to ensure that an e-country principle is entrenched in using the Information Communications Technology (ICT) platform for administrative and business activities, the issues that arise from data subject privacy and third party use of data subject information would be regulated in a manner which would ensure confidence in the development of ICT mediator platforms and technologies. According to Communications Minister, the absence of legislation on this matter is an infringement of the right to privacy.