{"id":124929,"date":"2025-11-18T13:07:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/11\/18\/ca-denies-ordering-collection-of-biometric-data-for-mobile-subscribers\/"},"modified":"2025-11-18T13:07:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T13:07:02","slug":"ca-denies-ordering-collection-of-biometric-data-for-mobile-subscribers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/ca-denies-ordering-collection-of-biometric-data-for-mobile-subscribers\/","title":{"rendered":"CA denies ordering collection of biometric data for mobile subscribers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18 \u2014 The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has dismissed reports claiming it is compelling mobile network operators to collect biometric data under the country\u2019s newly revised SIM card registration regulations.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a statement issued Tuesday, the regulator termed the concerns \u201cunfounded,\u201d emphasizing that it has not directed operators to collect fingerprints, retinal scans, DNA, or any other highly sensitive biological identifiers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the avoidance of doubt, CA has NOT issued any directives for the collection of biometric data by our licensees,\u201d the statement read in part. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe new SIM Card Regulations do not contain any provision requiring the collection of biometric data.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The CA clarified that the updated rules\u2014published in May 2025\u2014 seek to shield Kenyans from SIM-related fraud, identity theft, SIM-box crime, and other forms of digital criminality.<\/p>\n<p>The statement follows rising public concerns, with critics and privacy advocates arguing that the regulations overreach by defining \u201cbiometric data\u201d to include \u201cblood typing, fingerprinting, DNA analysis, earlobe geometry, retinal scanning, and voice recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security and confidentiality <\/h2>\n<p>However, CA maintains that although the regulations define biometric data broadly, they do not mandate operators to collect all or any of these markers from subscribers.<\/p>\n<p>According to the regulator, the new rules instead impose stringent security and confidentiality standards on telecom operators, ensuring handling of subscriber information in line with the Data Protection Act and the Kenya Information and Communications Act.<\/p>\n<p>CA further clarified that operators may only suspend SIM cards if a subscriber provides false information or repeatedly fails to complete registration. <\/p>\n<p>Even then, no subscriber may be disconnected without prior notice and the use of \u201cclear, fair, and transparent procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Authority underscored that the overarching goal of the revised regulations is to \u201cstrengthen the integrity of telecommunications services, ensuring that every line belongs to a verified individual, thereby enhancing trust in Kenya\u2019s digital space,\u201d while supporting safer access to e-government and mobile money services.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 18 \u2014 The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has dismissed reports claiming it is compelling mobile network operators to collect biometric data under the country\u2019s newly revised SIM card registration regulations. In a statement issued Tuesday, the regulator termed the concerns \u201cunfounded,\u201d emphasizing that it has not directed operators to collect fingerprints, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124929\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}