Safaricom, a mobile network operator in Kenya, has refuted allegations of aiding government-backed abductions by furnishing the police with customers’ personal data.
The telecom operator on Thursday issued a strongly worded letter denying the claims and reiterating its commitment to protect customer data privacy unless ordered otherwise by a competent court.
“We respect our customers’ privacy and adhere strictly to the country’s data protection laws. As such we do not share any customer data unless explicitly required of us via a court order,” Safaricom wrote in a statement Thursday evening.
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Allegations of Safaricom providing unrestricted access to customers’ data to the police
Safaricom’s statement comes in the wake of allegations that the telco violated the privacy rights of its customers by giving the police unfettered access to sensitive customer data, including Call Data Records (CDRs), which they then used to find people who were allegedly involved in criminal activity.
Following an article by the local newspaper the Daily Nation, the reports surfaced on October 29.
According to Safaricom, CDRs do not provide consumers’ current location or movement data.
“That for information purposes, a customer’s Call Data Record (CDR) does not show any live location and movements of customers but is generated after a call is terminated and for text messages once they are sent or received, and this is for purposes of billing only,” it emphasised.
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Safaricom’s commitment to customers’ data privacy
Safaricom also cited its recent ISO 27701 Privacy Information Management System (PIMS) certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI) as evidence of its compliance with data privacy regulations.
“This is the highest certification an organisation can attain in management of privacy information systems, as a data controller or processor, a testament to our commitment to preserve our customer privacy and provide a worry-free experience on our network,” the statement read.
The telco said it incorporated technologies into its systems that would keep customers’ information safe from third parties.
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