…Introduces Bill to Protect Personal Information
Nigerian Senate
A Bill for an Act to promote the protection of Personal Information processed by Public and Private bodies aimed at safeguarding data of individuals have been introduced in the Senate.
It also seeks to introduce Information Protection principles so as to Establish minimum requirements for the processing of personal information; to provide for the Establishment of an information Protection regulator as well as provide for the issuing of Codes of Conduct.
The Bill is also aimed at providing for the Rights of Persons regarding unsolicited Electronic Communications and Automated decision making; to regulate the flow of Personal Information across the Borders of the Federation and for Other Matters connected Therewith.
According to the Bill, any person convicted of an offence in terms of this Act, especially when any person hinders, obstructs or unlawfully influences the Regulator or any person acting on behalf of or under the direction of the Regulator in the performance of the Regulator’s duties and functions under this Act, that person is guilty to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding ten years, or both a fine and imprisonment.
The Bill which is aimed at giving effect to the right to privacy, by introducing measures to ensure that the personal information of an individual is protected when it is processed by responsible parties is sponsored by the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Stella Oduah, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Anambra North.
The Bill is designed to give effect to the Constitutional right to privacy, by safeguarding personal information when processed by a responsible party, subject to justifiable that are aimed at balancing the right to privacy against other rights, particularly the right of access to information.
The Bill also seeks to regulate the manner on which personal information may be processed, by establishing principles, in harmony with international standards, that prescribe the minimum threshold requirements for lawful processing of personal information.
The Bill in line with parliamentary proceedings has been introduced and read the first time.
After the introduction of the Bill entitled, ” Protection of Personal Information Bill, 2019(SB.7) by the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Kebbi North, the Clerk of the Senate, Nelson Ayewor affirmed it.
The Bill also seeks to balance the right to privacy against other rights, particularly the right of access to information, and to generally protect important interests, including the free flow of information within and across the borders of Nigeria.
The Bill also seeks to protect important interests, including the free flow of information within the Republic and across international borders.
It is also aimed at providing persons with rights and remedies to protect their personal information from processing that is not in accordance with this Act and establish voluntary and compulsory measures, including an information Protection regulator, to ensure respect for and to ensure respect for and to promote, enforce and fulfil the Rights protected by this Act.
