Africa-Press – Angola. The chairman of the Board of Directors of the Data Protection Agency (APD), Maria Pinto, said this Thursday that in Angola, personal and corporate data are legally protected by means of the Law on Data Protection, Networks and Computer Systems.
In view of the technological challenges, he said that it is up to the State bodies to permanently monitor its application, as the Agency itself does.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2nd edition of the “Angola Digital Forum”, an initiative of the Portal de TI, he considered that the changes in Angola are promising and that technological progress should open opportunities for the improvement of society.
The official also highlighted the advances in the digital transformation that is supported by information and communication technologies.
Based on these tools, numerous personal data of citizens are transacted, emphasizing this time that privacy should not be neglected when building technological solutions.
In the opinion of the person responsible for some technological progress registered in the country, they translate into the improvement of the quality of life of the Angolan society and other spheres.
As an example, he mentions the new technologies incorporated into the country’s banking sector, citing payment applications for financial products and services, in addition to other services.
Review of legislation
Maria Pinto also said, on the sidelines of the Forum, that they are working on updating the Data Protection Law, with a view to facing current challenges.
According to the person in charge, the legal document being updated has been in force since 2011.
Maria Pinto who was speaking to Portal de TI, organizer of the Angola Digital Forum (ADF), the document being updated is expected to come into force later this year and will cover concerns involving artificial intelligence in what the Data Protection Law (LPD) says respect.
Asked about how the APD is preparing to deal with the potential threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI) to citizens’ data security, Maria Pinto explained that the Agency is currently working on reviewing the current LPD, in order to adapt it to current challenges.
According to the official, all assumptions, including AI, are being taken into account.
“The new LPD will bring a bit of everything and, for that, we are doing a study in the digital segment to see what there is and what affects data protection, and it should come into force later this year,” he added.
The Agency, he added, has a team dedicated to investigating compliance with the LPD in the country.
However, he warns that data security, whether in relation to artificial intelligence or technology in general, is the responsibility of the citizen himself.
Maria Pinto clarifies that the Agency only works to guarantee compliance with the regulations in terms of the use of citizens’ data, and intervenes when necessary to ensure this compliance.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
