Kenyans who use cyber cafés will now be subject to new monitoring requirements after the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) directed all licensed public communication access centres to keep customer records.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

According to the authority, operators will be required to establish systems for registering customers using identifying details and maintain records showing their service usage, under newly gazetted licensing conditions set to take effect from Friday, August 14.

“Maintain basic user logs of service usage essentially a customer session log (excluding personal browsing history), which will cover the terminal ID, session start/end time,” CA wrote in a document obtained by Kenyans.co.ke .

Under the licensing conditions, the records must capture the computer or terminal assigned to each session, as well as the time a customer starts and ends using the service.

📌 What You Need to Know

However, the authority stated that customers’ personal browsing history will not be included in the records.

The new requirements apply not only to cyber cafés, but also to telephone bureaus, community payphones and other public communication services designated by the CA.

Operators will be required to retain records relevant to compliance with the directive for a minimum of three years.

The authority will also have the power to request records and reports from operators and access their premises, systems and equipment for inspection, auditing or investigations.

The rules come as public internet facilities continue to be identified as potential avenues for cybercrime , including identity theft, document forgery and other online offences.

The record-keeping requirement is among other measures introduced under the new conditions, including an obligation for operators to display their prices and issue customers with receipts for services charged.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke