[kictanet] Has IEBC Voter Register Been Compromised

[Grace Mutung'u (Bomu)]

when the voter register was open for inspection,  anyone with your ID
Number could have accessed your voter information.....
but again,  i am advised that voter information is not private....so
if thats the case, then to what extent do data protection laws apply
to the voters register?  and is it unauthorized access if i check
others registration details?

2013/2/12, Harry Karanja <kkairo at gmail.com>:
> On interrogation of legislation I've actually found that the Kenya
> Communication (Amendment) Act imposed stiff penalties for unauthorized
> access of data. So whether it came from retail agents or telcos (which is
> highly improbable) this MP is not supposed to have my data. I'd also
> discount the idea of cell broadcasting - which to the best of my knowledge
> had not been activated in Kenya for commercial use. The SMS originated from
> a UK number.
>
> What is indisputable is that the aspiring MP accessed my personal data
> without authorization. The next challenge is who should be held accountable
> and how do I do this?  As mentioned earlier, targeted campaigning or
> marketing is only one use of this data - but what if someone based on my
> surname surmises that I do not fit into the electoral map, will there be
> another form of targeting to evict me from that constituency? (Here lies the
> futility of SIM registration as these SMS can easily be sent from UK or
> India)
>
> The fears I have are real, for its happened before, and as most on this list
> can attest, technology has the power to make this process more efficient.
>
> Regards,
> Harry Karanja
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> On Feb 11, 2013, at 10:40 AM, Edith Adera <eadera at idrc.ca> wrote:
>
>> Harry,
>>
>> Indeed the sources are many as others have said. Do we have a data
>> protection law (and FOI law) in place? Or the 10th parliament left
>> “hurriedly” without enacting it?
>>
>> The scenarios of how an individual voter can be targeted are many and
>> scary, to say the least.
>>
>> Edith
>>
>> From: kictanet
>> [mailto:kictanet-bounces+eadera=idrc.ca at lists.kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of
>> Harry Karanja
>> Sent: February 10, 2013 10:44 PM
>> To: Edith Adera
>> Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>> Subject: [kictanet] Has IEBC Voter Register Been Compromised
>>
>> Listers,
>>
>> This morning I received the oddest message. Through a bulk sms provider,
>> one of the aspirants for MP in my constituency sent me an SMS appealing me
>> to vote for him in the upcoming elections? Now I say odd because to the
>> best of my knowledge I have never communicated to this politician my
>> number and my constituency. In fact the only person I have ever given this
>> dual information is the IEBC during voter registration.
>>
>> Which begs the question, could IEBC or its registration clerks be making
>> voter registers available to politicians for consideration or otherwise?
>> I'm also curious if this is an isolated event or its happening elsewhere?
>>
>> Now I don't need to emphasize on the very serious implications if
>> politicians are in possession of such specific data on the electorate. I
>> previously blogged
>> (http://www.startupkenya.info/2010/08/chopping-up-big-green-giant-safaricom.html)
>> on the dangers of telcos in possession of too much personal data, but it
>> is nothing compared to politicians with this data especially in a country
>> that has experienced deadly post election violence.
>>
>> I'm curious what measures IEBC has in place for the protection of our
>> personal information and if my experience this morning portends the
>> compromise of all future governmently held e-data?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Harry Karanja
>>
>> Sent from my iPad
>


-- 
Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu)
Kenya
Skype: gracebomu
Twitter: @Bomu
Website: http://www.diplointernetgovernance.org/profile/GraceMutungu