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Towards Data Protection Law in Ethiopia

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African Data Privacy Laws

Part of the book series: Law, Governance and Technology Series ((ISDP,volume 33))

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Abstract

The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has recognized the right to privacy as a fundamental human right. Concomitantly, the advancement of information and communication technologies has become a major threat to this constitutional right. As the country increases access to the broadband internet, the right is increasingly being threatened. Regardless of privacy concerns, the country does not have a legally binding comprehensive data protection law. As a result, the country relies on the existing laws that are found in different pieces of legislation. But, the existing laws are found inadequate to address the challenges of privacy-threatening information technologies. Knowing the inadequacy of the existing laws, the country has drafted a comprehensive data protection law, but awaits for parliamentary deliberation and approval. Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to explore how far the existing laws address the challenges of ICT–born-privacy invasions, and discuss the content of the draft data protection law. In view of this, the discussion first tries to link the concept of privacy with the political context and the attitude of the society. It then highlights some privacy related legal provisions of different legislation, and the draft data protection law. Finally, it provides the reasons why the country needs a comprehensive data protection law.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Nissenbaum 2010, p. 1.

  2. 2.

    Ibid.

  3. 3.

    Banisar 2000, p. 18.

  4. 4.

    Michael 1994, p. 32.

  5. 5.

    Assefa 2010, p. 7.

  6. 6.

    The FDRE National Information and Communication Technology Policy and Strategy (Addis Ababa 2009) 1 (The National ICT Policy).

  7. 7.

    Yilma 2014, p. 30. See Freedom House 2011, p. 133.

  8. 8.

    The National ICT Policy (n 6) 5.

  9. 9.

    Human Rights Watch 2014, p. 1.

  10. 10.

    Westin 1967, p. 8.

  11. 11.

    Neethling et al. 2005, p. 29.

  12. 12.

    Bygrave 2010, p. 174.

  13. 13.

    Kiwanuka 1988, p. 80.

  14. 14.

    Bellman et al. 2004, p. 315.

  15. 15.

    Bygrave (n 12), p. 176.

  16. 16.

    Ibid.

  17. 17.

    Peebles 2012.

  18. 18.

    Tibebu 1995.

  19. 19.

    There are so many proverbs which demonstrate the secretive tendency of the Ethiopian society: (Donot share your secret to someone who can easly let it go), (Keep your private matters for yourself).

  20. 20.

    Yilma 2015, p. 2.

  21. 21.

    Alston 1990.

  22. 22.

    Amartya Sen 2000, p. 3.

  23. 23.

    The World Bank Group 2015, p. xv.

  24. 24.

    Yilma, (n 20), p. 2.

  25. 25.

    Ibid.

  26. 26.

    Adejumobi 2007, p. 1.

  27. 27.

    Human Rights Watch (n 9), p. 1.

  28. 28.

    Ibid.

  29. 29.

    Proclamation No.1/1995, The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Federal Negarit Gazeta 1995).

  30. 30.

    Ibid Chapter three (from Article 13–44) deals with about democratic and human rights.

  31. 31.

    Ibid, Article 9(4).

  32. 32.

    Yilma and Birhanu 2013, p. 116.

  33. 33.

    Messele 2002, p. 13.

  34. 34.

    Nahum 1997, p. 124.

  35. 35.

    Yilma and Birhanu (n 32), p. 118.

  36. 36.

    The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), Article 12; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966), Article 17; and the Convention on the Rights of the (1989), Article 16.

  37. 37.

    Extraordinary Issue No. 2/1960, The Civil Code Proclamation of the Empire of Ethiopia (Negarit Gazeta 1960), Article 27.

  38. 38.

    Ibid, Article 28.

  39. 39.

    Ibid, Article 31(1).

  40. 40.

    Directive 95/46/EC and OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder flows of Personal Data (1980).

  41. 41.

    The Civil Code (n 37), Article 13.

  42. 42.

    Ibid Articles 2053 and 2054.

  43. 43.

    Proclamation No. 185/1961, Criminal Procedure Code of Ethiopia (Negarit Gazeta 1961).

  44. 44.

    Article 32 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ethiopia under the umbrella of ‘Searches and seizures’ reads: “Any investigating police officer or member of the police may make searches or seizures in accordance with the provisions which follow: (1) No arrested person shall be searched except where it is reasonably suspected that he has about his person any articles which may be material as evidence in respect of the offence with which he is accused or is suspected to have committed. A search shall be made by a person of the same sex as the arrested person. (2) No premises may be searched unless the police officer or member of the police is in possession of a search warrant … where: (a) an offender is followed in hot pursuit and enters premises or disposes of articles the subject matter of an offence in premises;(b) information is given to an investigating police officer or member of the police that there is reasonable cause for suspecting that articles which may be material as evidence in respect of an offence,… are concealed or lodged in any place and he has good grounds for believing that by reason of the delay in obtaining a search warrant such articles are likely to be removed.”

  45. 45.

    Ibid.

  46. 46.

    Proclamation No.590/2008, Freedom of Mass Media and Access to Information (Federal Negarit Gazeta 2008), Articles 12(1) and 15.

  47. 47.

    Ibid, Article 16(1).

  48. 48.

    Ibid, Article 2(18).

  49. 49.

    Birhanu 2009, p. 42.

  50. 50.

    Draft Ethiopian Data Protection Act (Version 1.1, 7 May 2009).

  51. 51.

    Directive 95/46/EC (n 40), Article 2(a).

  52. 52.

    Draft Ethiopian Data Protection Act (n 50), Article 4 and Schedule 1.

  53. 53.

    Ibid, Articles 27–38.

  54. 54.

    Directive 95/46/EC (n 40), Articles 3(2) and 9.

  55. 55.

    The privacy guidelines of OECD represent a consensus position of countries from North America, Europe, and East Asia as to the basic structure of privacy law. The OECD guidelines 15–18 regulate trans-border data flows among member states, but the guidelines are silent about the flow of data outside member states. The guidelines set out eight key principles for the protection of personal data which have shaped national privacy laws around the globe.

  56. 56.

    The Draft Ethiopian Draft Data Protection Law (n 50), Schedule 1

  57. 57.

    Ibid, Articles 6, and 16–26.

  58. 58.

    Proclamation No. 808/2013, Article 6.

  59. 59.

    Ibid, Article 16.

  60. 60.

    ICCPR (n 36), Article 2(1).

  61. 61.

    Yilma (n 20), p. 7.

  62. 62.

    Ibid 7–8.

  63. 63.

    Solove and Rotenberg 2003, p. 735.

  64. 64.

    Bender and Ponemon 2006, p. 154.

  65. 65.

    Directive 95/46/EC (n 40), Articles 1(1), 25 and 26.

  66. 66.

    African Union, African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection 2014.

  67. 67.

    Ibid, Articles 18 and 29.

  68. 68.

    Report of the Office of United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights on ‘the right to privacy in the digital age’ (A/HR/C/27/37, 2014), para.14.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Alebachew Birhanu Enyew

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  1. Faculty of Law, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Alex B. Makulilo

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Enyew, A.B. (2016). Towards Data Protection Law in Ethiopia. In: Makulilo, A. (eds) African Data Privacy Laws. Law, Governance and Technology Series(), vol 33. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47317-8_7

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