Kenyan Man Sues Truecaller Over Data Protection Violations

A Nairobi resident has filed a lawsuit against the popular caller identification app Truecaller, citing violations of Kenya’s Data Protection Act of 2019.

The lawsuit, presented in a Kenyan court, alleges that Truecaller improperly disclosed users’ personal information and transferred data to India without user consent.

This legal action arises amid escalating privacy concerns in Kenya, highlighted by recent incidents during Gen Z protests, where several notable figures had their phone numbers exposed on social media, leading to harassment and threats.

Truecaller, which has rapidly gained popularity in Kenya since its arrival in 2018 and ranks among the top ten global users, is accused of failing to register as a data controller or processor in the country—a stipulation outlined in the Data Protection Act.

The complaint also asserts that protections for Kenyan users’ privacy rights are lacking compared to those in other countries.

The case reflects a global trend towards increased enforcement of data protection laws, following similar challenges faced by Truecaller in Nigeria, where a class-action lawsuit was dismissed.