For some time now, telecommunications dashing out the data of subscribers has been a discussion from all nooks and crannies in Ghana.
It has come to the attention of STRANEK-Africa that the National Communications Authority (NCA) has indicated that all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) i.e. MTN, Glo, Vodafone and AirtelTigo complied with the request for information which was subsequently processed and forwarded to the Ghana Health Service for contact tracing purposes. Thus, there was no objection by any party in respect of COVID-19 contact tracing data request until an application for injunction order was filed.
We wish to ask NCA 5 questions.
- Why has NCA refused to file a defence in the Francis Kwarteng Arthur case?
- In what format did the telecommunications supply the personal data – harshed or unharshed?
- In respect of which services did the telecommunications supply the personal information- does it include mobile money transactions or not?
- In which period did the telecommunications supply the personal information- from before or after COVID-19?
- What was the objection of MTN about and did NCA respond to that objection?
STRANEK-Africa has credible information that some telecommunication started sharing subscriber’s information with government before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana. Therefore, the NCA and government cannot hide behind contact tracing to violate the privacy rights of subscribers.
What is more disappointing is that, the NCA as a regulator is required to protect consumers. By its conduct, the NCA is rather aiding and abetting the violation of the rights of subscribers. No wonder telecommunication services remain poor in Ghana due to poor regulation.
For the sake of subscribers, we at STRANEK-Africa wish that these questions will be answered expeditiously to clear the notion about the private data of subscribers of mobile phone companies being dashed out.
We are all involved in building our motherland Ghana.
Signed
Nii Tettey Tetteh
Executive Director
+233 559 042 914
Emmanuel Osei
Director of Policy and Political Affairs
+47 412 45 303