The Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), have today launched a data protection and privacy portal that will ease reporting, processing, and resolving of data protection and privacy complaints and breaches. It will also ease registration of persons and organizations collecting and processing personal data. The portal includes SMS/USSD functionality to enable universal access and usage by most citizens. A two-month long awareness campaign to publicize and drive usage of the portal, as well as create awareness on the rights of individuals whose personal data is collected, was also launched.

"The Personal Data Protection Office is open to individuals to file their complaints if they are concerned that their personal data protection rights have not been respected and have not managed to resolve the matter with the organisation involved, whether it is a public or private organization. The data protection and privacy portal makes the filing and resolution of such complaints an efficient process," Ms. Stella Alibateese, National Personal Data Protection Director said.

The Personal Data Protection Office was set up by the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019 as an independent Office under the National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) with the mandate to oversee the implementation and enforcement of the Act. The Office was operationalized in August 2021.

The Data Protection and Privacy Act aims to: protect the privacy of the individual and of personal data by regulating it's collection and processing; provide for the rights of the people whose data is collected and the obligations of organizations that collect this data; and to regulate the use or disclosure of personal data. The law provides that all personal data must be handled in accordance with the principles of data protection and privacy as provided in the Act which include; Accountability, Lawfulness, Minimality, Retention, Quality, Transparency and Security.

“Today’s launch is not about the portal, but rather about what the portal will enable us to achieve, that is, building trust in the digital systems and solutions that have and will increasingly become part of our daily lives. Trust in the digital economy, as we call it today, will drive usage of digital solutions to improve the wellbeing of Ugandans,” Richard Ndahiro, Technical Advisor – Inclusive Digital Economy, UNCDF said.

The potential of digitalization in transforming the livelihoods of individuals, communities, businesses, and the wider economy is never in doubt, and many communities are already reaping the benefits. Yet, digitalization presents several risks which we must work to mitigate. These risks include: (1) That some people are being left behind, and this – if not addressed – will perpetuate significant inequalities, (2) That one’s personal data can end up in the wrong hands or be used contrary to the owner’s wish.

UNCDF’s support to the PDPO to develop the data protection portal is part of its ‘Leaving No One Behind in the Digital Era Strategy’, funded by SIDA, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The strategy aims to empower millions to use digital services that will leverage innovation and technology to improve their wellbeing, while contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

To access the portal, visit https://pdpo.go.ug/file-complaint

About the Personal Data Protection Office

The Personal Data Protection Office is Uganda's statutory body established as an independent office under the National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) and is responsible for overseeing the implementation of and enforcement of the Data Protection and Privacy Act. The Office is headed by the National Personal Data Protection Director. The Personal Data Protection Office’s statutory functions include the following; overseeing the implementation of and being responsible for the enforcement of the Data Protection and Privacy Act; coordinating, supervising and monitoring data collectors, data processors, and data controllers; monitoring, investigating and reporting on the observance of the right to the privacy and receiving and investigating complaints relating to violation of the Act. More information on the Office can be found on www.pdpo.go.ug

ABOUT UNCDF

The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries (LDCs). UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development. UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connect individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which capacitates localities through fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and structured project finance to drive local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization. www.UNCDF.org

For further information contact:

Baker Birikujja, Manager Licensing and Legal Affairs, baker.birikujja@pdpo.go.ug

Rachael Kentenyingi, Communications Specialist, UNCDF Uganda, rachael.kentenyingi@uncdf.org