By Memory Chatonda

Blantyre, January 30, Mana: Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) has partnered with District Information Officers (DIOs) across the country to intensify community engagement and awareness of the Personal Data Protection Act.

The Data Protection Act seeks to provide for the protection of information that can be used to identify a person, such as name, identification number, location, facial recognition, fingerprints and nationality to prevent privacy violations.

MACRA Head of Data Protection, Daniel Chiwoni said the information officers being the mouthpieces of the government play a crucial role in communicating with the public and managing the reputation of their respective institutions.

Chiwoni was speaking on Wednesday in Blantyre during a day-long training workshop on data protection awareness for DIOs which was organized to deepen stakeholders understanding of the Act and enhance compliance with the legislation.

“It is essential that you are knowledgeable about the principles of personal data protection such as lawfulness (the legal basis for processing personal information) and consent (whether the data subject has given explicit consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes).

“Knowledge of personal data protection principles enables effective communication of privacy policies, data handling practices and commitment to safeguarding individuals’ personal information,” he said.

Chiwoni, therefore, encouraged Information Officers to utilize various media channels suitable in their respective districts to sensitize communities on the Act to protect their privacy.

However, Chiwoni cautioned that mishandling of personal data could lead to huge reputational risks for any organization.

He advised the DIOs to be aware of the potential risks associated with data breaches, unauthorized disclosures or privacy violations especially in the digital era and to take proactive measures to mitigate those risks.

District Information Officer for Thyolo, Yamikani Yapuwa hailed MACRA for inculcating knowledge among the DIOs about the Act.

Yapuwa asked MACRA to support the information officers with necessary resources to intensify awareness campaigns on the Act through radio programmes and other interactive sessions.

The Data Protection Act became operational in June last year and this year’s Data Privacy Week which runs from January 27 to January 31 is being commemorated under the theme: ‘Put Privacy First.’