Personal Data Theft

The National Federation of the Moroccan Digital Economy (FNEM) has repeatedly denounced vehemently the silent complicity of officials face the daily violation, in our skies by people shamelessly law making the personal data of customers of all stripes a lucrative trade.

Who has not yet received by email a personalized offer rental of personal data? The question does not arise. Besides being diversified, the database offers (name, phone number, mailing address, email…) is cheap or generous: your personal data cost 1 penny dirham.

Personal data are attracting more and more the greed of a new breed of companies that make it a lucrative business, by renting them to the first comer. Alarmed by these illegal and fraudulent practices that gradually break the confidence of consumers of all stripes, especially e-consumers, the National Federation of the Moroccan Digital Economy (FNEM) vehemently denounces the silent complicity of officials face the daily violation under our skies, personal data, in full sight of everyone.

These companies, which do not hide, operate in an environment of permissiveness and impunity. Offering HRD coordinates, CIO or CISO, which sells data of 200,000 people (email, phone, postal address…) to 2,000 dirhams or less… Result: individuals and corporate managers are bombarded with dozens of calls, SMS or junk emails that undermine their peacefully and seal their freedom. They are harassed every day, without respite.

“Nobody will endorse for sharing and selling of personal data unless he personally benefits. What seems unthinkable when it comes to mobile phone numbers, postal addresses … ‘indignant El Amine Serhani AL IDRISSI, President FNEM.

Telecom operators and Internet service providers, banks, government … hold a series of personal data their customers or taxpayers.

If the law states that they must ensure the protection and confidentiality of this data, it happens that they be stolen or accessed by people who do not have authorisation.

“Even journalists are harassed all day long by companies or agencies that operate their personal information,” says Serhani AL IDRISSI.

It is disturbing to find that laws protecting personal data and thus the privacy of people, went unheeded. “Everyone has the right to protection of her private life. […] ’, states Article 24 of the Constitution.

09-08 The law on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, specifically its first article states that “IT is at the service … it must not undermine the identity, rights and collective and individual freedoms of man…”.

The law determines the collection, storage and use of personal data by a number of rules: the consent of the affected and securing their data at their head.

From another angle, it strictly prohibits sharing or use for commercial purposes.

These obligations should therefore be imposed on companies, whether of malice or negligence on their part.

But on the ground, violations are legion. And the CNDP (National Control Commission for the protection of Personal Data) seems outdated. Its international agreements do not serve to protect the Moroccan Internet subscribers to “free” Google, Facebook or Twitter, against exploitation, without their knowledge, their personal data sold by hundreds of agencies attracted to the bait quick gain.

Another extremely serious violation not least:

Under the principle of transparency, OMPIC (The Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property) grants the right to any-one-each to appropriate a copy of the statutes and corporate balance sheets.

The danger is that these documents contained personal information managers such as home address, CIN number and date of birth.

It has become imperative that banks, telecom operators, insurance companies and credit institutions, like any other for-profit organisation, and even governments, lock more access to their customer database or citizens.

A service to a friend by an employee or official may sometimes be hazardous to the physical integrity of persons.

This mutation, necessary, cannot operate without the output of the digital code. The Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and the Digital Economy is called to replace the legislative circuit for adoption.

Instead of concentrating efforts on ecommerce sites, it must especially be in the firing line, companies that sell databases.

A “service” paid, moreover, by credit card, under the control of Morocco Telecommerce or PayPal.