Absolutely Tevin , this presents a fundamental opportunity for Africa to unify in urgent data policies for resolution in the digital age to ensure protection of human rights and freedoms on the internet similar to the EU. Furthermore as Keith mentioned perhaps its time to scale up  homegrown opportunities.





On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 1:30 PM tevin mwenda via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Hi Team,

Perhaps to further guide our discussion is this twitter thread by Will Cathcart the Whatsapp CEO  https://twitter.com/wcathcart/status/1347660768225841152  where he stated that the new changes that are coming in would not change how Whatsapp shared Data with Facebook group of companies. The new changes were to update business communication as currently about 175 million people interact with a Whatsapp business account everyday. Furthermore, he states that end to end encryption will still remain and the changes do not apply when you interact with non-business accounts.

I think what has happened is that Whatsapp while in the process of updating its terms for business accounts interaction either knowingly or unknowingly ended up showing us or making it easier for us to finally understand and know the Data it shares with Facebook group of companies.

In addition, it also showed us the power of having strong data regulations as this policy will not apply to Europe. Perhaps we can also look at India as it provides a good case study of how we can go about this issue. Currently the Supreme Court of India has  asked the Centre and WhatsApp to reply to a fresh plea alleging lower standards of privacy for Indians in comparison to European users. The court stated, "it is the duty of the judiciary to protect citizens' privacy. This would be an interesting case to follow.
https://yourstory.com/2021/02/supreme-court-whatsapp-facebook-privacy-policy-indian-government 

Lastly, it is high time Africa as seen from the EU example start working as one when it comes to Data Legislation and Policy matters. We already have a very good convention that is the African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Data Protection. Sadly only 19 countries have ratified it since it was published in 2014. With the passing of AFCTA  I think this convention and subsequent Data policies may play a bigger role than initially thought as the saying goes Umoja ni Nguvu.

Other Reads:
1. https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/answering-your-questions-about-whatsapps-privacy-policy Whatsapp Expaliner on the privacy policy
2. https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226792/whatsapp-privacy-policy-response-signal-telegram-controversy-clarification The verge article on the same.
3. https://restofworld.org/2021/whatsapp-risks-losing-its-loyal-customers/  Rest of the world article on the effects the changes had in India why they risk losing thier most loyal base the uncles, aunts and grandparents 
4. https://researchictafrica.net/2021/01/26/the-great-whatsapp-migration-delving-to-the-roots-of-a-much-bigger-problem/  A South African view 


Thank you
Kind Regards

Tevin Mwenda Gitonga


On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 9:39 AM Liz Orembo via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
@barrack, it would be interesting to hear how the principle of Data minimization applies when the specified purpose is advertising.

Where's our data protection guru @walu?

On Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 08:39 Mwara Gichanga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Thank you all for your contributions, it should very exciting to engage FB on the webinar next week on Tuesday on these important issues and questions you have all raised

The discussion continues!





On Wed, 24 Feb 2021 at 8:57 PM, Wangu Mwangi via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Hi all, 
Apologies if I go a bit off track here as i just recently joined this conversation, but i wanted to share a personal experience i’m still puzzling over,

A couple of weeks ago, i suddenly lost all my contact information (names of contacts i’d been communicating with for years were no longer showing up when receiving calls, and i couldn’t find contacts when doing a search. But what its most strange is that at exactly the same time, I started getting notifications from WhatsApp with guidelines for retrieving lost contacts.

Does this mean i signed on to something i wasn’t even aware of? And if so, why would they mess up with saved information for contacts that aren’t even on my WhatApp lists?  This is really frightening to me as a lay person. Any explanations?

Thanks,

Wangu

On 24 Feb 2021, at 20:18, Keith Andere via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:

Dear Mwara,

These are pertinent questions you have raised here, and the discussion is really interesting. 

On question one, I think Facebook is not your ordinary platform to compare with other platforms such as bibles and picture filtering apps. I therefore care much more about the privacy of my data because it's a piece to a bigger global puzzle. For me whatsapp is a platform where many aspects of my life connects, my family, chama, landlord alerts, Mpesa is now sending statements to whatsapp. I would not want to imagine that I would want any of this used for business purposes, especially when right to opt out is denied.

I think this is also an opportunity to scale homegrown solutions and platforms because soon enough when we all move to platform B, they would pull the same strings on us! Seems we must buy our own lunch! I am still hanging on to the old terms waiting to be axed :)

Ni hayo tu kwa sasa!
Keith

On Wed, Feb 24, 2021 at 7:39 AM Mwara Gichanga via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Dear listers,

Thanks to those who managed to contribute to the discussions yesterday. We are still collating our questions to Facebook regarding this subject. Today let's talk about what's at stake with the new terms. To guide our discussions, let's ponder over these questions:

1. We already have applications that mine our instant generated data from our mobile phones(eg bible apps, mobile lending apps, games etc). What's different with Whatsapp getting this data?
 
2. Is there anyone who has accepted these terms already? What's your experience so far?

Lets continue the conversation!

Warmly
Mwara
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/kephand%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.


-- 
Kind Regards,

Keith Andere
Director, Systems Development
Intact Computer Systems
P. O. Box 2536 – 00621 Nairobi
Cell: +254 722 565 212
www.intactsystems.co.ke

Description: Description: cid:image002.gif@01CAF142.352A2350Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
<image001.gif>_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/wmwangiconsult%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.

_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwaragichanga%40kictanet.or.ke

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/lizorembo%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/tevinmwenda%40gmail.com

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
_______________________________________________
kictanet mailing list
kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke
https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/

Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mwaragichanga%40kictanet.or.ke

The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.

KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.