2020 Is A Decisive Year To Promote Stronger Data Protection In Africa 

–African Business | Eliminalia

With elections taking place across the continent in 2020, the need to promote digital protection in Africa is stronger than ever. Eliminalia, a company that has been providing digital protection to businesses and individuals since 2011, is in the forefront of efforts to ensure citizen’s digital rights are respected

Eliminalia, as a company specialising in data protection and GDPO, provides protection to individuals, business and public personalities in Africa on the Internet. Too many of the continent’s inhabitants are still excluded from seeing their digital basic rights respected.

So far 24 African countries have adopted laws and regulations to protect personal data, and the number is rising. “The 2016 EU General Data Protection Regulation, which came into force in May 2018, stands as a model for many. Africa deserves a new update on the laws and regulations on this field and we are promoting it,” said David Castella, Business Project Manager of Eliminalia in the United Kingdom.

In 2020, at least 20 African countries are voting, either for legislative or presidential elections, and the candidates and the citizens deserve to receive reliable information, not fake and defamatory news.

Why is it important for African businesses and citizens to be digitally protected?

The regulation of the use and processing of personal information through legislation is an internationally accepted practice. Not only will individuals and organisations in the private sector gain with data privacy legislation or a data protection Act but it is also important for trade, political and commercial deals or simply when seeking a new job, as concerns around information privacy can create barriers to these activities.

Since 2011, Eliminalia has been helping to protect businesses and individuals around the world from negative online information that could damage their business and reputation.

How is Eliminalia helping business and citizens around the world?

Whilst the EU presents itself as a global leader in data protection, the same standards are not applied when it comes to partnerships in Africa, America and Asia. “We’re talking about the European Union, whose data protection laws shine like a lighthouse inside the EU – at least formally – but their application and enforcement remains foggy when it comes to the bloc’s data processing activities in its African neighbours,” said David Castella, Business Project Manager of Eliminalia.

Through its seven offices around the world in countries such Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Colombia, Mexico, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates Eliminalia is monitoring and erasing negative information for thousands of clients. Eliminalia has solved cases for 3,540 business and 5,770 individuals and politicians since 2011, constantly providing new solutions for any digital concerns their clients may have.

2020 is election season across Africa, a crucial year for digital boosts
Voters across the continent are heading to the ballot box during 2020 to choose their leaders in presidential, parliamentary and local elections, starting with the Comoros in January and ending with Ghana in December, raising a big potential problem with fake news.

Dídac Sanchez, CEO of Eliminalia, and with more than 10 years’ experience in digital solutions, says: “Of course, this is an issue of fundamental importance to democracy, because it can skew and influence election results. As such, fake news is a bigger problem than previously thought, with potentially far-reaching consequences.”

All in all it’s quite clear that 2020 is a decisive year to promote a stronger digital protection in Africa.