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Truecaller Faces Lawsuit in Kenya

Truecaller Faces Lawsuit in Kenya

Truecaller, a Swedish mobile app, is being sued in Kenya for allegedly breaching the Data Protection Act. Lawyer James Mbugua claims the app collects and shares Kenyans’ contact details without their consent. He also accuses Truecaller of failing to register as a data controller and ignoring local data laws. According to its website, Truecaller helps users identify unknown callers.

In his complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC), Mbugua points out that Truecaller is not listed as a registered data handler. This, he argues, violates Section 18(1) of the Act. He believes this lack of registration raises concerns about Truecaller’s accountability and compliance with Kenyan laws.

Mbugua is seeking a ruling that declares Truecaller’s data practices illegal under Kenyan law. He also wants the company to register with the ODPC and stop transferring Kenyan data to India without safeguards. Mbugua is pushing for a cease and desist order to block the transfer of user data until Truecaller meets legal requirements or stores the data locally.

The lawyer warns that Truecaller’s unregulated operations threaten the privacy of Kenyan citizens. He claims the app exposes Kenyans’ names and numbers to global users, violating their privacy rights. Mbugua also accuses Truecaller of using a secret algorithm to collect data without informing users.

The petition further claims that Truecaller applies different data protection standards based on the region. Mbugua argues that the company enforces stricter policies in places like Europe but uses generic privacy policies for regions like Kenya.

Also read: Evolving Partnership Between China and Kenya

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