MACRA Trains Media on New Data Protection Act
The training aims to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle personal data responsibly and in compliance with the new legislation.
BLANTYRE, Malawi - The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) is conducting a two-day training on the newly enacted Data Protection Act and digital profiling for public relations officers and government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), writes Mayamiko Phiri.
The training, which runs from Wednesday, March 20 to Thursday, March 21 in Blantyre, comes at a time when Malawi has experienced a boom in technology use, often putting personal data at risk.
In her opening speech, MACRA Board Chairperson Bridget Chibwana stated, "This training is a vital component that will be used by communication practitioners to safeguard data."
MACRA's Director of Legal Services, Thokozani Chimbe, said the purpose of the meeting is to train public relations officers on the newly passed Data Protection Act, which was enacted in February.
"The Data Protection Act will align Malawi with international standards," Chimbe said.
"It is a bill that tries to safeguard people's rights to privacy as it lays down certain safeguards that protect individuals whose data is processed from abuse by those who are processing it."
The training aims to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to handle personal data responsibly and in compliance with the new legislation, which seeks to protect individuals' privacy rights in the digital age.