After a long wait, the Data Protection Bill will be read for the first time in Parliament this month, the government announced on Wednesday, September 22, 2022. The Information, Communication, and Information Technology Minister, Nape Nnauye, made the announcement that the bill would be tabled before being signed into law by the President to ensure the safety of people's personal data.

Mr Nnauye made the announcement while speaking at the Connect 2 Connect (C2C) Forum, which focused on Africa's connectivity agenda.

"The cabinet has formally granted us permission to proceed with the process," he revealed.

He added that Tanzania will take a leaf from countries that already have a similar law when implementing the Data Protection Law. In doing so, he explained, the country will be able to overcome legal difficulties and make the law more user-friendly.

"As more social and economic activity move online, the value of privacy and data protection is becoming more widely recognised." "We need to secure our data," Mr Nnauye explained.

Of equal concern is the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information to third parties without consumer notice or consent. Individuals are occasionally subjected to potential abuse and even emotional injury as a result of advances in information and communication technology (ICT). "We might also look at the ethics of internet use to the extent that it is governable," minister Nnauye alerted, promising stakeholders that the government would pass a good law. "Irresponsible behaviour must be managed," he added.