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Originally published by Capital Business
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business
December 10, 2025
7h ago

Millions of Africans Locked Out of Services as Biometric Digital IDs Raise Privacy and Access Concerns

Millions of Africans Locked Out of Services as Biometric Digital IDs Raise Privacy and Access Concerns

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 10 - Millions of Africans are unable to access essential services, including healthcare, education, social protection payments, and Kenya breaking news | Kenya news today |..

✨ Key Highlights

A new report by the African Digital Rights Network (ADRN) warns that millions of Africans are being locked out of essential services due to the imposition of biometric digital-ID systems across the continent, raising significant privacy and access concerns.

  • These systems, costing an estimated US$1 billion continent-wide, require citizens to provide personal and biometric information with limited legal protection.
  • Tony Roberts, Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, highlighted that fundamental rights like education and healthcare are becoming conditional on enrollment in these systems.
  • Paradigm Initiative Executive Director Gbenga Sesan expressed concerns about data breaches and the use of personal data to surveil critics, leading to public mistrust.
  • Marginalized groups, including people with disabilities and rural populations, face additional barriers to enrollment, such as the cost of mobile data and access to electricity.
  • Kenya's Maisha Namba program has faced criticism for privacy risks and legal ambiguities.

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