51253715-295The Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service has set the end of October to political parties and organisations involved in the collection of personal data to register under the Data Protection Act or face sanctions.

Already executives of some 60 companies have been cautioned for failing to register under the law.

Executive Director of the Data Protection Commission, Teki Akuetteh Falkoner, has told Joy News her office has filed an official complaint against thousands of organizations including all the political parties who have failed to comply with Act.

“Because we are in a political season, during the beginning of the year, we sought to provide a guideline for political campaigning. Once we did this we wrote to them a second time reminding them of their obligation to register under the law,” she said.

The independent statutory body, Data Protection Commission, is established under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) to protect the privacy of the individual and personal data by regulating the processing of personal information.

The Act is aimed at protecting the privacy and personal data of individuals.

The Commission provides for the process to obtain, hold, use or disclose personal information and for other related issues bothering on the protection of personal data.

Director of Cybercrime Unit at the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Herbert Gustav Yankson, says heads of organisatons that violate the law could be jailed for two years.

Source: myjoyonline.com