AROUND 9,000 public and private institutions have registered with the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), while the compulsory registration period was extended by three months, up to April 9, the regulator says.

Dr Emmanuel Mkilia, the PDPC director general, made this remark at the World Privacy Day event yesterday, marked annually on January 28, noting that the registration reflects growing awareness among institutions and citizens about protecting personal information.

This follows PDPC public education efforts to ensure that all institutions complete voluntary data registration within the timeframe, even as registration with the commission is mandatory for all data controllers and processors, both public and private. 

Organizations must complete this registration, with a deadline initially set for April 30, 2025 and periodically extended, as failure to register is an offense that may lead to fines or imprisonment, an online briefing specifies.

Registered institutions are those that collect, store, process and transfer data abroad, since the law protects citizens, the end-users of technology as at times personal information is treated like a commodity. “It is therefore essential to understand your rights; the foundation of personal data protection starts with the individual,” he emphasized.

Those who collect and process data must recognise their responsibility to safeguard it while carrying out their duties, he said, while Stephen Wangwe, the PDPC director of registration and compliance, explained that personal data includes information that identifies a citizen, such as health records, ethnicity, occupation, living conditions or contact details.

Some personal information is private, allowing individuals to decide how much to share and in what way, he said, a remark echoed by Msewe resident Amina Boniface who said that despite government efforts to encourage citizens to protect their personal data, some people deliberately post others’ information on social media without consent.

Such practices can lead to online sexual harassment, public scrutiny of a person’s appearance leading to and psychological harm and the victims feeling vulnerable, she said.

“It is clear that people need to understand the importance of protecting personal information to safeguard privacy and prevent online abuse. Some social media platforms even expose people’s data when demanding money,” she added.