Debt Shaming: Kenya Fines Loan App

The Kenyan authorities have penalised an online lender $3,700 (£3,400) over allegations of intruding and sharing customers’ personal data.

It followed complaints lodged against it by users over personal data breaches.

The Office of Data Protection said it received close to 150 complaints against Whitepath Ltd, alleging the lender’s mobile app was mining phone contacts data to engage in debt-shaming practices.

The lender’s staff were also accused of harassing the complainants and their friends and relations through phone contacts obtained irregularly.

A company that sells office space, Regus Kenya, was also fined a similar amount after being accused of spamming complainants despite efforts to make them stop.

Kenya’s data commissioner, Immaculate Kassait, said that data protection was the responsibility of every data controller and processor.