Why this matters
Data science in Ghana often handles some of the most personal data there is: mobile money histories, health survey answers, phone numbers, locations, Ghana Card numbers, credit records. Misuse can expose people to fraud, shame or unfair refusal of services. Ghana has a law on it, and employers expect you to know it. Doing this well is also about trust: communities who feel respected keep answering surveys.
Ghana's data protection law
The Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) governs how personal data is processed, and the Data Protection Commission enforces it. The Commission says all data controllers and processors must register with it. The principles it lists include accountability, lawful processing, a specified purpose, using data only for the purpose it was collected for, quality of information, openness, security safeguards and the participation of the people the data is about. In practice for a data scientist:
- Collect only what you need for a stated purpose.
- Use data only for that purpose, or one compatible with it.
- Keep it secure: access controls, encryption, no copies on personal laptops or WhatsApp.
- Be open about what you collect and why, and respect people's right to see and correct their data.
Read the Act and the Commission's guidance yourself; this lesson is not legal advice.