News / National
Potraz bids to protect rights to privacy
26 Jun 2023 at 01:45hrs | Views
Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has said that for purposes of enforcing the Cyber Data Protection Act, one has to be registered with the authority, under the principle of cyber and data protection law.
Potraz which was conducting a sensitisation and awareness workshop on educating data subjects about their rights as enshrined under the Cyber and Data Protection Act (Chapter 12:07) said the law is there to protect citizens their rights to privacy and dignity.
POTRAZ head advocacy and compliance, Ms Zvichanzii Mugota unpacked the rights of data subjects to ensure citizens protection and their rights to privacy.
"For purposes of enforcing the Cyber Data Protection Act, one has to be registered with the authority, under the principle of cyber and data protection law which is there to protect citizens, to protect their rights to privacy, to protect their dignity.
"If people have access to one's personal information it is very easy to get into business or to know one's privacy issues, the law is there to protect your privacy as citizens and it is a constitutional right which this law seeks to enhance and to make sure privacy is properly protected," she said.
According to the Data Protection Act (DPA) as a data subject, one has the right to be informed, to be told before the information is taken from him or her or before it is processed.
DPA states that one must be told why the information is needed and what it will be used for, purpose for processing, period for which data will be stored, third parties to whom the personal data will be disclosed.
The Data Protection Act also has right of consent.
"This means you must voluntarily give out your personal information and you must approve how it will be used, consent must be written, clear, available, easily accessible, transparent. The right is not absolute as there are exceptions to the right to consent."
According to the act there is also a right to withdraw consent.
"You have a right to withdraw given consent to processing of your personal information at any time and without any explanation and free of charge."
On right of access: "You have a right to gain access to your personal information that the data controller processes."
DPA also has a right of correction, where one has a right to have incorrect and misleading personal information about the subject rectified or corrected.
Potraz which was conducting a sensitisation and awareness workshop on educating data subjects about their rights as enshrined under the Cyber and Data Protection Act (Chapter 12:07) said the law is there to protect citizens their rights to privacy and dignity.
POTRAZ head advocacy and compliance, Ms Zvichanzii Mugota unpacked the rights of data subjects to ensure citizens protection and their rights to privacy.
"For purposes of enforcing the Cyber Data Protection Act, one has to be registered with the authority, under the principle of cyber and data protection law which is there to protect citizens, to protect their rights to privacy, to protect their dignity.
"If people have access to one's personal information it is very easy to get into business or to know one's privacy issues, the law is there to protect your privacy as citizens and it is a constitutional right which this law seeks to enhance and to make sure privacy is properly protected," she said.
According to the Data Protection Act (DPA) as a data subject, one has the right to be informed, to be told before the information is taken from him or her or before it is processed.
DPA states that one must be told why the information is needed and what it will be used for, purpose for processing, period for which data will be stored, third parties to whom the personal data will be disclosed.
The Data Protection Act also has right of consent.
"This means you must voluntarily give out your personal information and you must approve how it will be used, consent must be written, clear, available, easily accessible, transparent. The right is not absolute as there are exceptions to the right to consent."
According to the act there is also a right to withdraw consent.
"You have a right to withdraw given consent to processing of your personal information at any time and without any explanation and free of charge."
On right of access: "You have a right to gain access to your personal information that the data controller processes."
DPA also has a right of correction, where one has a right to have incorrect and misleading personal information about the subject rectified or corrected.
Source - The Herald
