Heads of institutions cited for breaching data protection law, risk going to jail for two years.  

More than 170 institutions have been cited by the Commission as having violated data protection regulations. The list is made up of several organisations and public institutions including British Airways, Lufthansa Airlines, Royal Senchi Hotel, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and the Accra Mall.

Related article; British Airways, African Regent Hotel among top names said to have violated Data Protection law

The Commission is already in discussions with the Ghana Police Service to activate the processes to prosecute these institutions. 

“I have a meeting today with the police and so we are taking the next step which is the prosecution if they do not remedy the situation,” Chief Executive of the Data Protection Commission, Teki Akuetteh Falconer disclosed to Joy News’ Raymond Acquah.

She advised the Heads of the listed institutions to contact the Data Protection Commission for help if they have any, else they will go ahead with the prosecution.

“If they [organizations] get to us and they tell us the genuine difficulties they are having we will give them the necessary time” to remedy the situation, she said.

Those found guilty are likely to be fined 250 penalty units or two years imprisonment or both.

However, the CEO said: “The objective is not to go out and prosecute people, it is to make sure that those people who are utilizing these services are adequately protected”.

The general public has also been cautioned against providing their personal information to such institutions since it increases the dangers associated with the unlawful processing of their personal data which includes sale of their information (such as credit card details, residential address, phone numbers, etc) to third parties for criminal and fraudulent purposes, lack of access or control over their information and identity theft.

Listen to Teki Akuetteh Falconer in the audio attached:<p>