Absa Bank pushes for coordination on data privacy

What the report says

Absa Bank Uganda brought together banks, regulators, fintechs, data-protection specialists and information-security professionals in Kampala to discuss how the financial sector can cooperate more closely on customer data privacy. According to The Independent Uganda, the workshop was framed around the theme “Trust by Design: Embedding Privacy, Consent and Responsible Use of AI across Digital and Open Banking Models.”

The discussion reflected the sector’s rapid shift toward digital services such as mobile banking, agent banking, digital lending, open banking and partnerships with technology providers. Absa Managing Director David Wandera said privacy should be treated as a management issue, not only a technical or compliance task, because more connections also create more points where information can move or be misused. Absa Group Head of Data Privacy Thav Reddy said privacy should be built into products and partnerships from the start.

The workshop also examined consent management, data-sharing to fight fraud and money laundering, and privacy risks in agency banking. Participants discussed how artificial intelligence is increasingly used in areas such as fraud detection, customer service, risk analysis and automation, raising governance and accountability questions. The report said Uganda’s data-protection environment is becoming more established, increasing expectations for organisations that handle personal data.

The broader message was that customer trust will be essential as financial services become more connected. The Independent Uganda reported that the event underscored the need for continued collaboration across the sector as institutions adopt new technologies while trying to protect personal information.