The right to privacy is a fundamental human right, and an enabler of many other human rights, such as freedom of expression, dignity, and freedom from discrimination.

The rise of digital technologies has led to huge increases in digital data collection across the world. Effective data protection regulation is key to protecting people’s rights in the modern era by preventing the unauthorised use of personal information.

In recent years there has been a sharp increase in the number of African countries with laws enacted to protect against the abuse of personal data. The majority of African countries now have a data protection law in place.

However, regulation has often failed to keep up with the rapid development of technology. Despite encouraging progress overall, a significant number of African states do not yet have data protection laws, and many existing laws face implementation challenges or loopholes.

This platform seeks to inform the research, activism, and public participation that is required to develop and implement meaningful laws and policies for data protection in Africa.