New data by Meta revealed that Kenya was the leading country in East Africa for requesting user data, making 35 requests targeting 55 accounts in 2024.
Compared to its neighbouring countries, this was a high figure, with Uganda making only two requests, Tanzania and Sudan making one each, while Somalia and Ethiopia made none at all.
In the report, Meta revealed that it responds to government requests for data in accordance with applicable law and its terms of service. According to Meta, after receiving the requests, it carefully reviews them for legal sufficiency and may decide to either reject or adhere to the requests.
“Every request we receive is carefully reviewed for legal sufficiency, and we may reject or require greater specificity on requests that appear overly broad or vague,” the report reads in part.
Meta allows governments to request data through legal process requests and emergency disclosure requests.
Legal requests are those from governments accompanied by a legal process, such as a search warrant.
In emergencies, law enforcement may submit requests without legal process. Based on the circumstances, Meta may voluntarily disclose information to law enforcement where they have a good-faith reason to believe that the matter involves an imminent risk of serious physical injury or death.
The data shared upon request includes name, email, phone number, IP address, login history, timestamps, public posts, comments, likes, and device usage.
Between January and June, the government made 23 requests targeting 37 accounts. This was during the period when the government faced retaliation from the youth over the Finance Bill 2024. The retaliations culminated in protests that led to Gen Z storming Parliament.
Between July and December, the government made 12 requests targeting 18 accounts. This was after the protests, and Kenyans began to witness increased cases of forced disappearances, with youths being abducted over contrary opinions they had posted online.
The revelations have sparked concerns about digital privacy and government surveillance, especially as Kenya moves to expand its monitoring capabilities.
A recent budget allocation revealed that the government has set aside Ksh150 million for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to procure and operate Optimus 3.0, a system designed to track social media users.
