Kenya’s digital regulator has fined a school $31,000 (shs 117,248,700.15) for posting pictures of students online without the consent of their parents.
This is the first move of its kind by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
A night club and a credit company have also been fined $12,500 and $20,000 respectively.
According to the regulator, the club posted a customer’s picture on their social media accounts without their permission. The credit company threatened clients through phone calls and messages using information obtained from third parties.
These fines have sparked a public debate about the right to privacy, especially in clubs and bars.
Some of these establishments have now published notices that anyone entering their premises consents to be photographed, filmed or recorded without compensation and that those who disagree with their rules should not go in.
In a statement posted on X, the regulator said it hoped that the fines will send a message to institutions to comply with the country’s data protection laws, including those that require them to seek consent before posting people’s pictures online.
