‘Protection of citizens’ personal data not optional’ - APNU

‘Protection of citizens’ personal data not optional’ – APNU

Apr 19, 2026 News

…calls for implementation of protection framework

(Kaieteur News) – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Friday said that the protection of citizens’ personal data is not optional. As a result, the party is calling for the implementation of a data protection framework to ensure protection.

At the party’s weekly press conference, Member of Parliament (MP) and attorney-at-law Dr. Dexter Todd said that the misuse of people’s personal data is an issue that cannot be ignored.

“There are serious concerns about how citizens’ information has been handled and potentially used for political purposes. This is a direct violation of trust. The Government must move immediately to fully implement the data protection framework and ensure the establishment of an independent and accountable body to oversee it,” he said.

‘Protection of citizens’ personal data not optional’ - APNU

Dr. Dexter Todd

Dr. Todd stressed that the matter warrants urgent intervention noting that it is not optional but the State has a fundamental responsibility to protect citizens’ data.

Recently, Commissioner of Data Protection Aneal Giddings in an interview with News Room, was asked to explain how confident citizens can be that their data will be protected without an act in place to do so.

Giddings assured the public that while the Data Protection Act is not yet in place, the rules and policies that govern how personal data is extracted for things like the digital ID card, “are very strictly adhered to”.

In December of 2025, Kaieteur News reported that Attorney General, Anil Nandlall assured citizens that there will be legislation in place to ensure that whatever data is required and provided for the E-ID system remains private.

On an episode of his weekly programme “Issues in the News” Nandlall said that while the legislation governing that data and the card are not yet in place, the persons who are participating in the preliminary roll out are doing it on a voluntary basis and the information they are providing is already in the public information system.

“So, data such as name, addresses, ID card numbers, national ID card numbers, passport numbers, TIN, photograph, driver’s licence numbers, marriage certificates, birth certificates are all information that are already in the public information system of this country,” the AG explained.

He highlighted that, persons can go to the public agencies and obtain this type of information, as it is neither peculiar, private or of a financial or medical nature. “Once all the processes are in place and the personnel are in place and the mechanism to administer the full implementation of the legislation are in place. Then the legislation will be brought into force and these processes will be unfolded in accordance with the law and then it becomes obligatory on every citizen to become part of the process against that backdrop,” Nandlall assured.

He noted that he has seen the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and other commentators expressing fear on how the data is being obtained and the type of data.

After dismissing the fears as being “unfounded, without basis, and polluted by politics,” he further stated that “…this fear that the government is accumulating data and will misuse the data and will manipulate the data for ulterior design and purposes is one that is without basis and unfounded. The government has access to this information anyhow through the various State agencies.”

Nandlall reaffirmed that when the process truly begins whatever data is obtained from citizens, especially “the type of information that are deeply personal…that laws, data protection laws are passed to protect.”

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data protection framework, Dr. Dexter Todd, personal data

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