Information privacy and data protection in e-government services in The Gambia: A human rights perspective

Abstract

This study undertakes an investigation into the standards of information privacy and data protection within the framework of e-government implementation in The Gambia. The Government of The Gambia has embarked upon the deployment and operation of e-government services across various state agencies, aiming to facilitate crucial transactional processes, notably the issuance of ID cards and passports. However, the execution of these services inherently entails the aggregation of substantial volumes of personal data, posing the risk of violation of the right to information privacy. To mitigate this threat, the adoption of robust information privacy and data protection mechanisms is imperative. Using a doctrinal approach and through semi-structured interviews with five key informants, this thesis scrutinizes the presence and efficacy of such mechanisms within the context of The Gambia's e-government milieu, benchmarking against established global human rights standards. The findings reveal significant gaps concerning information privacy and data protection within e-government services in The Gambia, leading to their failure to meet recognized standards of human rights. The thesis further enriches the theoretical framework on engineering for human rights by demonstrating the paramount importance of governmental oversight in comparison to the role of engineers. It concludes that governments wield a greater influence in ensuring the design and operation of e-government services align with recognized human rights standards, particularly regarding information privacy and data protection.