Telecommunication company, Safaricom PLC has been awarded the highest certification in Privacy Information Management System (PIMS).
The telco giant is among the first Mobile Network Operators (MNO) in the region to attain PIMS Certification.
This prestigious certification was granted after a comprehensive evaluation by the British Standards Institute (BSI).
Safaricom stated that this is the highest certification an organisation can attain in the management of privacy information systems, as a data controller or processor.
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The certification was issued on 16th October 2024 after assessing Safaricom’s levels of implementation of customer support, billing services, M-PESA and data centre operations.
“This serves as a validation of Safaricom’s dedication to safeguarding customer data across its GSM and M-PESA services,” Safaricom said.
“It confirms that the company adheres to globally accepted regulatory and technical standards in the implementation of privacy management systems.”
“This milestone complements Safaricom’s existing certifications in Information Security Management Systems (ISO 27001 – ISMS) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS version 4.0).”
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The assessment conducted by BSI took into account various critical elements related to Safaricom’s operations, including effective system controls for the protection of personal information, and implementation of relevant policies including the Data Protection Policy.
Other areas covered included crucial systems such as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM), IP Contact Centre (IPCC), Tibco, Converged Billing System (CBS), Voucher Management System (UVC), M-PESA G2, M-PESA Statement Portal, M-PESA Super App, MySafaricom App, and the M-PESA business App.
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa commended the dedicated cross-functional teams whose tireless efforts led to the company receiving the highest certification in PIMS.
“The attainment of the PIMS certification reaffirms our ongoing commitment to continuously improve our privacy and security measures, ensuring we provide exceptional experiences for our customers while safeguarding their private information,” said Ndegwa.
Additionally, the company recently achieved the latest and highest level of PCI DSS Certification.
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Safaricom Responds to Claims of Sharing Customers’ Private Information
The award comes after Safaricom in June this year responded to Kenyans following claims that the telco giant publicly shares customers’ private information.
The telco giant acknowledged the online conversations and concerns raised surrounding data privacy.
However, the company clarified that it had not shared any of its customers’ information with any government agency.
“We respect our customer’s privacy and adhere strictly to the country’s data protection laws. As such we do not share any customer data unless explicitly required of us via a court order,” Safaricom said.
“On the current issue in discussion, we confirm that we have not received any court order requiring us to share customer information with any government agency.”
The statement came after people on social media raised complaints, alleging that the telco giant assisted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in kidnapping and abducting anti-finance bill protesters.
The accusations gained significant traction online telecom with claims that the telco giant provides communication data and real-time locations of people to government authorities.
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