Activists sound alarm over African biometric ID projects
Published: 10/Déc/2020
Source: Al Jazeera
Biometric ID systems are proliferating across Africa but without the appropriate protections for citizens, say activists.
By Madeleine Speed
In January this year, Kenya’s High Court halted the roll-out of the country’s controversial biometric ID, the Huduma Namba, citing the lack of a regulatory framework to protect the privacy of citizens.
Once distribution is complete before the end of 2021, Kenyans will need the ID – which holds their fingerprints, contact details and occupational information – to access government services. When asked in 2019 why the government was pursuing the project, Kenya’s Information and Communication Technology Principal Secretary, Jerome Ochieng, responded, “Data is the new oil.”
Read further: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/12/10/activists-sound-alarm-over-african-biometric-id-projects