Tanzania’s Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) has warned that failure to comply with the country’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) poses serious risks to citizens’ privacy, security, and fundamental rights.
Speaking on Wednesday during the seventh phase of a special training programme for Data Protection Officers in the southern highlands city of Mbeya, PDPC Director General Emmanuel Lameck Mkilia said the commission had identified gaps in compliance among some institutions.
“The commission has noted that some institutions are not yet fully prepared to implement the requirements of the Personal Data Protection Act, particularly in registration and the appointment of Data Protection Officers. Some continue to collect and process personal data without completing legal requirements,” Mkilia said.
He said the three-day training aims to ensure that the collection, processing, storage, and use of personal data are conducted in full compliance with the law, adding that the commission expects tangible institutional reforms following the programme.
Mkilia reiterated that the PDPC is preparing to begin compliance inspections to monitor adherence to registration directives and the mandatory appointment of Data Protection Officers. Legal action will be taken where violations are identified, he said.
The current training session, held from Feb. 11, marks the seventh phase of the programme and targets public and private institutions operating in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands zone.