The 16th Edition of the Computers, Privacy and Data Protection (CPDP) Conference took place in Brussels from the 24th to the 26th of May. 2023.
Lawyers Hub hosted a panel centred around 'The Changing Face of Online Consumer Protection in Africa's Digital Economy.' Moderated by our Policy Lead, Risper Onyango, the panel explored how safeguarding online consumers can drive the growth of Africa's digital economy, considering the increasing prominence of e-commerce in the region.
Vellah Kigwiru, a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Technical University of Munich School of Governance, and Jorge Andrés Clarke De la Cerda, a Strategic Advisor at the International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence under the auspices of UNESCO, were esteemed guests at the panel discussion, sharing valuable insights and offering a comprehensive perspective on the current state of digital commerce in Africa.
Key takeaways from the discussion highlighted the threat of digital colonialism, where Africa's user data is extracted and controlled for profit and market influence, with minimal benefit to individual consumers. This issue is exacerbated by limited infrastructure, data protection laws, competition, and social, political, and economic power imbalances on the continent. The robust and efficient online behavioural tracking by foreign multinationals further compounds this challenge. The event provided an excellent platform to explore policy priorities for safeguarding consumer rights online, particularly in the areas of digital literacy, privacy and data protection, and the platform economy.
Watch the recording:
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