CIPIT is currently investigating how the privacy of Kenyan citizens was affected by the use of biometric data during the just concluded 2017 General Elections and repeat elections. In Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is mandated by law to register voters, verify their registration details and conduct elections. Accordingly, the IEBC is the custodian of the public voter register. There have been reports that individuals received texts via short messaging service (SMS) from candidates vying for various political seats during the campaign period of the elections. These SMS texts were allegedly accurate as to where the individuals were voting and to some extent, their political inclinations. Our research objective is to investigate such geo-targeting and profiling claims via telecommunication networks and their implications on the voter’s privacy and security.
For more, read our Press Release here.
CIPIT Research Investigates Misuse of Biometric Voter Data and Impact on Kenyans’ Privacy
