"Foreign tech firms not easing regulation of sector – NITA-U"

Global companies are testing the ability to enforce laws passed to regulate electronic transactions and data privacy, National Information and Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) has said. “Our laws do a good job in regulating disruptive technologies. The challenges that come in are due to international aspects, that is, if a company is offering a service based outside the country. The challenge is that it will require very strong cross collaboration among regulators of countries so that we have uniform applicability of the law and to help investigations in case anything goes wrong,” Mr Emmanuel Mugabi, NITA-U manager information security operations said.  He was speaking at a United Nations African Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders’ workshop on multi-sectoral policy approaches to regulation of disruptive technologies on Thursday.

The rise of companies using financial technology, artificial intelligence or even blockchain technology to ease payments, credit, insurance or even trade have introduced new risks that require regulators to keep a watchful eye on the IT sector. 
Take for instance, Artificial intelligence, which ignited concerns about data privacy for instance from driverless cars or even smart phones.

“I do know that Ugandans do have 2018/2019 car models and have that software inserted in them so it is not that it is going to take a long time to get here,” Mr Anthony Kakooza, lawyer at Sipi Law Associates said, adding, “One legal question is about whatever software issues come with that-privacy. You are inserting a lot of data and the car is picking data about you. We already have data privacy issues with our phones. If your phone already has a Google location on, it will be recording every place you are at.”