Retail outlets, especially supermarkets, have increasingly been asking shoppers to provide their personal information at the till. The information is collected for reasons such as award of loyalty points for registered customers or payment in cases where the retail outlets have integrated their systems with mobile money platforms.
While this practice is aimed at improving customer service, it has resulted in serious privacy concerns as shoppers are asked to shout their personal information, exposing it to the public. The behaviour is unacceptable as it exposes shoppers to a range of risks, including harassment, stalking and identity theft.
In particular, young men and women are at risk of receiving unsolicited calls and messages from strangers who pick up their mobile numbers being read out to the cashier. This can be distressing and may even lead to sexual harassment and assault.
Privacy is a fundamental human right enshrined in the Constitution and data protection laws. The Data Protection Act, 2019 requires organisations to obtain consent from individuals before collecting their personal data. They should put in place appropriate security measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access, disclosure and misuse.
Asking shoppers to shout their mobile phone numbers at the till is, therefore, a clear violation of these legal requirements. It exposes shoppers to potential harm and risks compromising their privacy.
Retail stores should adopt alternative methods of collecting personal data that do not compromise shoppers’ privacy. For instance, they can provide shoppers with a tablet or mobile device at the till in which they can enter the required personal data. That will ensure shoppers’ personal data is collected securely and without compromising their privacy.
They must obtain shoppers’ consent and the data only used for the purpose for which it was collected.
