Re: [kictanet] Has IEBC Voter Register Been Compromised
On interrogation of legislation I've actually found that the Kenya Communication (Amendment) Act imposed stiff penalties for unauthorized access of data. So whether it came from retail agents or telcos (which is highly improbable) this MP is not supposed to have my data. I'd also discount the idea of cell broadcasting - which to the best of my knowledge had not been activated in Kenya for commercial use. The SMS originated from a UK number.
What is indisputable is that the aspiring MP accessed my personal data without authorization. The next challenge is who should be held accountable and how do I do this? As mentioned earlier, targeted campaigning or marketing is only one use of this data - but what if someone based on my surname surmises that I do not fit into the electoral map, will there be another form of targeting to evict me from that constituency? (Here lies
futility of SIM registration as these SMS can easily be sent from UK or India)
The fears I have are real, for its happened before, and as most on this
can attest, technology has the power to make this process more efficient.
Regards, Harry Karanja
Sent from my iPad
On Feb 11, 2013, at 10:40 AM, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.ca> wrote:
Harry,
Indeed the sources are many as others have said. Do we have a data protection law (and FOI law) in place? Or the 10th parliament left “hurriedly” without enacting it?
The scenarios of how an individual voter can be targeted are many and scary, to say the least.
Edith
From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Harry Karanja Sent: February 10, 2013 10:44 PM To: Edith Adera Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] Has IEBC Voter Register Been Compromised
Listers,
This morning I received the oddest message. Through a bulk sms provider, one of the aspirants for MP in my constituency sent me an SMS appealing me to vote for him in the upcoming elections? Now I say odd because to the best of my knowledge I have never communicated to this politician my number and my constituency. In fact the only person I have ever given
Does anyone else on the list use the app "truecaller" this is a global app and links caller names with their phone numbers from social networks and other online sources. www.truecaller.com: Search and find people all over the world with number lookup and get info from Truecaller, Facebook And LinkedIn Joe Mucheru On Feb 12, 2013 4:57 PM, "Grace Mutung'u (Bomu)" <nmutungu@gmail.com> wrote: when the voter register was open for inspection, anyone with your ID Number could have accessed your voter information..... but again, i am advised that voter information is not private....so if thats the case, then to what extent do data protection laws apply to the voters register? and is it unauthorized access if i check others registration details? 2013/2/12, Harry Karanja <kkairo@gmail.com>: the list this
dual information is the IEBC during voter registration.
Which begs the question, could IEBC or its registration clerks be making voter registers available to politicians for consideration or otherwise? I'm also curious if this is an isolated event or its happening elsewhere?
Now I don't need to emphasize on the very serious implications if politicians are in possession of such specific data on the electorate. I previously blogged ( http://www.startupkenya.info/2010/08/chopping-up-big-green-giant-safaricom.h... ) on the dangers of telcos in possession of too much personal data, but it is nothing compared to politicians with this data especially in a country that has experienced deadly post election violence.
I'm curious what measures IEBC has in place for the protection of our personal information and if my experience this morning portends the compromise of all future governmently held e-data?
Regards, Harry Karanja
Sent from my iPad
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu) Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu Website: http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mucheru%40google.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.
On interrogation of legislation I've actually found that the Kenya Communication (Amendment) Act imposed stiff penalties for unauthorized access of data. So whether it came from retail agents or telcos (which is highly improbable) this MP is not supposed to have my data. I'd also discount the idea of cell broadcasting - which to the best of my knowledge had not been activated in Kenya for commercial use. The SMS originated from a UK number.
What is indisputable is that the aspiring MP accessed my personal data without authorization. The next challenge is who should be held accountable and how do I do this? As mentioned earlier, targeted campaigning or marketing is only one use of this data - but what if someone based on my surname surmises that I do not fit into the electoral map, will there be another form of targeting to evict me from that constituency? (Here lies
futility of SIM registration as these SMS can easily be sent from UK or India)
The fears I have are real, for its happened before, and as most on this
can attest, technology has the power to make this process more efficient.
Regards, Harry Karanja
Sent from my iPad
On Feb 11, 2013, at 10:40 AM, Edith Adera <eadera@idrc.ca> wrote:
Harry,
Indeed the sources are many as others have said. Do we have a data protection law (and FOI law) in place? Or the 10th parliament left "hurriedly" without enacting it?
The scenarios of how an individual voter can be targeted are many and scary, to say the least.
Edith
From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera <mailto:kictanet-bounces%2Beadera> =idrc.ca@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Harry Karanja Sent: February 10, 2013 10:44 PM To: Edith Adera Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: [kictanet] Has IEBC Voter Register Been Compromised
Listers,
This morning I received the oddest message. Through a bulk sms provider, one of the aspirants for MP in my constituency sent me an SMS appealing me to vote for him in the upcoming elections? Now I say odd because to the best of my knowledge I have never communicated to this politician my number and my constituency. In fact the only person I have ever given
dual information is the IEBC during voter registration.
Which begs the question, could IEBC or its registration clerks be making voter registers available to politicians for consideration or otherwise? I'm also curious if this is an isolated event or its happening elsewhere?
Now I don't need to emphasize on the very serious implications if politicians are in possession of such specific data on the electorate. I previously blogged
(http://www.startupkenya.info/2010/08/chopping-up-big-green-giant-safaricom.
Joe - yes, 'truecaller' works. Last week I met an old friend in town and when I gave her my phone number, she dialed it to confirm and my full name appeared on her phone! That was real 'weird'. Esther From: kictanet [mailto:kictanet-bounces+emuchiri=andestbites.com@lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of Joseph Mucheru Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 9:22 PM To: emuchiri@andestbites.com Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions Subject: Re: [kictanet] Has IEBC Voter Register Been Compromised Does anyone else on the list use the app "truecaller" this is a global app and links caller names with their phone numbers from social networks and other online sources. www.truecaller.com: Search and find people all over the world with number lookup and get info from Truecaller, Facebook And LinkedIn Joe Mucheru On Feb 12, 2013 4:57 PM, "Grace Mutung'u (Bomu)" <nmutungu@gmail.com> wrote: when the voter register was open for inspection, anyone with your ID Number could have accessed your voter information..... but again, i am advised that voter information is not private....so if thats the case, then to what extent do data protection laws apply to the voters register? and is it unauthorized access if i check others registration details? 2013/2/12, Harry Karanja <kkairo@gmail.com>: the list this html)
on the dangers of telcos in possession of too much personal data, but it is nothing compared to politicians with this data especially in a country that has experienced deadly post election violence.
I'm curious what measures IEBC has in place for the protection of our personal information and if my experience this morning portends the compromise of all future governmently held e-data?
Regards, Harry Karanja
Sent from my iPad
-- Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu) Kenya Skype: gracebomu Twitter: @Bomu Website: http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mucheru%40google.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.
participants (2)
-
Esther Muchiri -
Joseph Mucheru