from MAVHUTO BANDA in Lilongwe, Malawi
Malawi Bureau
LILONGWE, (CAJ News) – MALAWI has committed to responsible handling of personal data as it advances its digital transformation.
The Southern African country is commemorating the Data Privacy Week, an international effort to empower individuals and businesses to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust.
The exercise began on Monday and runs until Friday.
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), in its capacity as the designated data protection authority (DPA) in the country, is leading commemorations under the theme, “Privacy by Design”.
Dr Shadric Namalombwa, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, has officially opened the event in Lilongwe.
“Data privacy is critical to national development,” he said on Tuesday.
“Data as a strategic national asset that improves service delivery and supports economic growth.”
Namalombwa thus urged ethical and responsible use of technology.
Chancy Gondwe, MACRA board chairperson, urged stakeholders to foster a culture of compliance.
He highlighted principles of lawful, minimal accurate and secure data processing.
“Data protection is a compliance issue, not just security,” Gondwe added.
The Data Protection Act (2024) makes privacy a shared responsibility that requires compliance from all digital users.
The first dedicated legislation for safeguarding personal information in the country, it came into force in 2014 and establishes a comprehensive legal framework for the processing and movement of personal data.
Organisations processing data for over 10 000 subjects or data significant to the national economy or security must register with MACRA.
– CAJ News