The Data Protection Commission on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, called on Parliament’s Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and media organisations to restrict or redact personal information publicly disclosed about 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
The commission said the publication of the evacuees’ names, signatures and records of financial assistance they received raised concerns about their privacy, dignity and potential exposure to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm.
In its press release, the commission warned that the disclosure of identifiable personal information, especially for people who had faced threats to their safety, could expose them to unwarranted public scrutiny.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the commission cautioned that the pursuit of public accountability does not automatically justify unrestricted disclosure of personal data.
“Any such disclosure as done by Members of the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Joy News and other media houses must be assessed against the applicable legal requirements, its intended purpose and the rights of the individuals concerned,” the commission stressed.
The body cited Articles 15(1) and 18(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which protect human dignity and individual privacy, alongside Sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which set out requirements for the lawful and reasonable processing of personal data.
It also clarified that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament were registered data controllers in good standing, their registration did not exempt them from their continuing obligations under the law.
The commission announced a regulatory review to examine the legal basis for the disclosures, the safeguards applied and whether the privacy rights of the affected evacuees were adequately protected.
The review will involve engagement with the relevant parties, and the commission warned that appropriate regulatory action would be taken if non‑compliance with the law is established.
It urged public institutions, media organisations and other entities handling personal data to make privacy and human dignity central to their efforts to promote public accountability.
